Through a Glass, Darkly
by Querida Usagi
Summary: Married off to Endymion as part of a business deal, Serenity feels more than alone in her marriage. Her cold, calculating husband is nothing like what she imagined he would be. But is there more to him than meets the eye? AU. Rated M for language & possible violence/smut.
1. Chapter 1

Querida Usagi

Hi guys! I guess I should disclaim right now and tell you that I do not in any way own any of the Sailor Moon characters in this story. All characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. I've been working on this story for a little while now, revising mostly. For every chapter that I post, I'll have a song that is recommended if you enjoy reading to music to create "ambience", I guess. Whether or not you listen to the song with the story is all up to you lol. Anyway, read on & review! Enjoy!

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**Soundtrack: **Shells of Silver - The Japanese Popstars

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"How I wish your father had heard your pathetic little outburst."

Endymion slammed his keys down on a nearby table and yanked off his coat, tossing it carelessly to a startled maid.

Serenity visibly cringed and stared blankly at the wall of their foyer, her hands white and wrapped around her full skirt. Endymion noticed, but spared her none- swiftly moving to stand in front of her and reminding her of his superior height.

"That was incredibly foolish of you! Though I'm not sure I can honestly say I expected anything more." He growled angrily in her ear. Serenity shuddered and let her eyes linger on his for a moment before glaring dejectedly at his high-priced business suit.

"I'm not a child, Endymion." Serenity swallowed, smoothing her clammy hands over her thighs. A lump seemed to permanently reside in her throat these past few days. "You can't talk to me however you ple-"

"_You_ are my wife, and you are to act like it."

"I am your wife…" Serenity chuckled harshly, and found the courage to look him straight in the eyes. The intensity with which she found his threw him off, and a variety of emotions splashed momentarily over his face before he settled on no emotion at all. "Funny, you never seem to remember that unless it's to your advantage."

They moved into the tea room when it became obvious that the household staff was quickly becoming distracted. Once inside, Endymion turned to his wife, a scowl marring his handsome face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Serenity shrugged, her glossy silver curls sliding delicately off of her porcelain shoulders. She had tried tonight- tried to be beautiful. For him. He hadn't noticed, of course. He never did. The only way he'd even glance her way was if she suddenly grew long spindly legs, a generous chest, and flaming, scarlet hair. Not likely. She felt his anger radiating off of him in waves. To be fair, her actions earlier in the night were not incredibly smart- fueled by emotion, more so. Serenity quickly swiped at the beads of sweat forming across her brow.

"Nothing." She said lightly. The truth of the matter was, it wasn't nothing. It was never simply _nothing_. She had known of his affair with Beryl for the past year, and since then, their relationship had been nothing short of tumultuous.

She supposed, in the long run, that it didn't really matter. Their marriage had never been about love. She had been a casualty of business affairs. And, if she were to be perfectly honest with herself, she hadn't minded in the least when she'd first laid eyes on him- a picture of masculine perfection. Her body had practically shivered with desire when she took in his tousled black hair, falling slightly into his face as if to shadow him, ice-like azure eyes framed by thick, ebony lashes and full eyebrows, his wide sensual mouth and practical nose, his stubborn jaw, and flawless olive skin. All of which sat atop a body that could only be likened to some sort of god.

She wondered for a brief, foolish moment what he had thought of her the first time he'd laid eyes on her.

Serenity smiled to herself wryly. He most likely immediately pictured his freedom skipping merrily out of the window. He really was such a grump. Sighing, Serenity moved towards the door.

Endymion looked at her, darkly. "Where do you think you're going?"

A look of resignation on her face, she turned to face her husband. "I'm going to bed."

"I didn't dismiss you."

Lapis lazuli eyes clashed precariously with ice. "My dear husband," She began mockingly, her voice clipped. "I'm certain that my presence is no longer required in this room. It's late. I suggest you retire for the night as well. You have an early meeting tomorrow, yes?"

Endymion approached Serenity swiftly, a dangerous glint in his eyes. As he neared, she kept her head down, an obstinate look on her face. She could feel herself cracking underneath her thin façade of strength.

"_I can make your life miserable."_

Serenity's jaw clenched painfully at his words. She had irrationally believed during the beginning days of her marriage to Endymion that she had won his fancy. Her marriage would never involve love. It was about power- it was very simply a power struggle. And nothing was more poignant in that moment than that fact. Stonily, she finally met his eyes.

"Do your worst."

She did not move a muscle as he swept past her with barely concealed rage, storming out of the tea room, the slam of the door causing the fixtures within the room to shudder in its aftermath.

She did not move until she could no longer hear the tap of his shoes as he moved hastily down the hallway- anywhere, as long as it was far away from her.

And once the familiar sound of silence shrouded over her, she finally let the dam forth.

* * *

"You deserve better than him, Serenity."

Serenity opened her eyes hesitantly, immediately groaning in protest at the onslaught of sunlight. She grouchily yanked her rose-colored satin sheets over her head and croaked, "Mina. What the _hell_ are you doing in my room?"

"That's besides the point."

"That is very much the point," Serenity deadpanned, her voice muffled beneath layers of comforters. "I wasn't even aware you were let on the premises."

"I came last night. Kunzite let me in."

Serenity nearly huffed at that. By God, she knew what that meant. "I should have him hung."

Mina's voice softened. "I heard your argument."

_Oh no._ She recognized that tone well. The picture of her friend's pitying face popped into her mind, and she clamped her eyes shut in an attempt to be rid of it. She was cornered, of that she was certain, and it wouldn't make any sense to hide.

"It wasn't really much of an argument." Serenity sighed and heaved herself upwards, her blankets pooling lazily around her midsection. Dolefully, she rubbed at her eyes and leaned against her mahogany headboard. She wearily eyed Mina, her long waves falling haphazardly across her face.

Mina had been her best friend for – well, for most of her life. She was a stunner and always had been; with waist length locks of spun gold and enchanting blue-green eyes. They were practically aquatic - unfailingly reminding Serenity of the sea. Today, she wore a flattering tangerine sundress that set her olive skin positively aglow.

Sure enough, her facial expression brimmed with concern. And, to be perfectly honest, it stung. "Mina – "

"No, Sere." Mina scooted closer to her, her soft hands clasping Serenity's in her own. "Look at you. You are heartbreakingly beautiful. All the boys in grade school were practically in love with you. You're brilliant, and the kindest person that I know. You're worth so much more than you give yourself credit for, and you don't even know it."

Serenity allowed a cursory glimpse at her reflection in the mirror presiding on her vanity, and swallowed uncomfortably. "Mina – "

"You should leave him. Come away with me! We can travel… We'll visit Italy. You've always wanted to go there, right? It's gorgeous this time of year," Mina rambled on with conviction, her emotions getting the best of her. "Leave him to rot with his bitch Beryl."

Serenity gasped and glanced sharply at Mina, whose face rapidly drained itself of all color. Clearing her throat delicately, she slowly looked away from her companion, focusing instead on a spot on the wooden floor. "Who told you?"

"K-Kunz –"

"I don't believe you!"

Mina had the grace to blush. "He did tell me, Sere."

Serenity whipped around, her eyes fixing incredulously on Mina's. "He wouldn't do that. He loves me." The words, unsure even of themselves, seemed to quiver as they tumbled out of her mouth. Apprehension began to trickle down her spine. All of a sudden, she was parched.

"It is because of his _love_ for you that he did tell me. And yet I know that you turned him down to be with Endymion."

Finally. A feeling she was certain of – indignation. Serenity jerked forward. "You know very well that is not how it happened, Minerva." She hissed, an accusation burning in her eyes. "The merger was with his brother – "

"Half brother."

" – _Half_ brother, and so I was bound to him before Kunzite even came into my life."

Mina pursed her lips and looked away. "He's still in love with you, Serenity."

Serenity let out a long breath, her posture unraveling. "I know." She replied quietly.

"And I love him." For a second, Serenity wondered just what she meant by that.

"I see."

Unspoken words rang loudly throughout the air. Serenity's heart clenched.

"But I love you too. And I want the best for you. Come," Mina squeezed Serenity's leg gently. "Get dressed. We'll have a day out on the town." After waiting for Serenity's (hesitant) nod of consent, she removed herself from the room, allowing Serenity time to get ready.

Closing the door softly, she turned, only to find herself peering up into concerned grey eyes.

"How is she?"

Mina sighed, impatiently brushing back strands of sunflower hair that had fallen into her eyes. "She's fine. Quiet."

"Maybe I should – "

"No, Kunzite." Mina scolded, a frown marring her lovely face. "Do _not_ go in there."

Kunzite swallowed and worked to regain his composure. Mina drank in his appearance. He was almost as beautiful as his brother, with his strikingly breathtaking features. Long, shoulder length platinum hair, so fair that it seemed white, and silver-like eyes that were as disturbing as they were magnificent. Mina shuddered. Strange, but beautiful.

"He's going to destroy her." Kunzite hissed in an irritated voice. "I can't believe he brought Beryl to the charity ball last night."

"Ah, yes. Her. He certainly knows how to choose them." She rolled her eyes in agitation.

Inside her room, Serenity released a shaky sigh. She catapulted herself from the bed with a forced spurt of energy, and briskly entered her wintry, marble bathroom. Everything in it was sparkling, white – flawless. Everything was in its place, as always. No disorder. Prison. That's what this was. A spotless prison. Serenity itched to throw the rose scented soaps and French beauty products to the floor. Instead, she ran the cool water in the sink to the top and, without falter, plunged her face in, letting out a raw, stifled sob. When she finally materialized from the water, she found herself face to face with a solemn, red-eyed version of herself. Cold water trickled down her face and from her hair, pooling around the sink.

"Get it together, Rena." She whispered to her reflection. "Get it together."

Serenity patted her face down with a towel and then tentatively applied noir mascara to her thick, chocolate eyelashes. Running her hands through her hair, she appraised her appearance and, after deciding that she was at the very least _presentable_, she slipped out of her nightdress and donned her favorite lilac summer dress.

"Knock, knock."

Serenity squealed and twirled around in surprise, her hair once again in disarray. Seeing that it was Kunzite, she released her breath in one hefty puff. "How long have- how long have you been in here? You startled me!" Her face warmed in embarrassment at the thought of Kunzite seeing her dress.

Kunzite offered the silver-haired beauty a small smile. "Mina asked that I let you know she'll be waiting for you in the parlor."

"Ah." Serenity swallowed. "I'll go there now then."

Neither one of them dared to move.

"Ren-"

Serenity squeezed her eyes shut, painfully. "Kunz… Don't. Okay?"

When Kunzite's eyes met hers in sorrow, she felt her heart squeeze as well. "I just couldn't handle it right now. Please?" She appeased to him, as she realized they were no longer feet away, but mere inches. Gently, she ran her hands along the amethyst lapels on his jacket. Serenity couldn't help herself – she leaned in and buried her nose in his chest, inhaling his woodsy scent. "I couldn't bear it."

With a swift kiss to his shadowed cheek, she turned away from Kunzite and leaned over her dresser in an effort to gather her things. What things, she had yet to figure out, but she didn't feel that she could face him anymore. She needed anything, any excuse not to see the pain that she knew was in his eyes. After sliding a few choice items in her purse, she righted herself, only to feel an unmistakable aura of body heat directly behind her, surrounding her. Her breath caught when Kunzite's hands moved to her shoulders, sliding sensuously down until he had her by the elbows. With one gentle pull, he had her melting into his embrace.

"Kunzite..."

"Shh..." He murmured into her hair, breathing in the aroma of strawberries and vanilla that clung to her. "Just let me have you... just once. Let me have you."

Serenity's eyes closed as she leaned further into him, bringing his arms to wrap around her slim waist. Her resolve was wavering. Did she think of him as more than a friend? Did she love him? She didn't know. The line between love and loneliness had blurred for her a long time ago. "Mina is waiting on me. You said it yourself."

Kunzite delicately gathered her hair to the side and, running a lone finger along the length of her neck, laid a searing kiss on the skin under her ear. Serenity shivered in response. "And yet your body is making no arguments."

"How could it, when you're being so persuasive..."

A loud rap on the door startled them out of their reverie, and they managed to only just jump apart when the door opened. Flushed, Serenity turned around and met with Endymion, whose eyes were coolly surveying the both of them before fixing themselves on Kunzite. Kunzite, it seemed, hadn't had the time to fully compose himself, his gaze lingering over Serenity before sliding to the door.

"Brother." Endymion greeted, his eyes ice. "Leave us."

Kunzite sent an apologetic glance Serenity's way before nodding towards Endymion and exiting, the door closing with finality behind him. Serenity stared at the door, the silence thick in the room. How could she escape – she wondered, briefly – through the window, maybe? Ah, yes, and fall a hundred feet to her death. It was a silly, fleeting thought, and she didn't know why on earth she'd thought of it, but what she did know was that she would do just about anything not to look at Endymion at the present moment. Regardless, that was exactly what she did. Immediately, her eyes stung with regret. He was leaning against the door looking impossibly self-righteous and, what was worse, unbearably handsome. How could someone so blessed be so cold? Her memory hazily recalled a time when things had been different. He had been so kind to her in the beginning days of their marriage, almost loving. Overnight, it seemed, he changed. Serenity had wondered for the longest time if it was something she had done to turn him off to her so. She found her eyes caressing the contours of his face, soaking him in, in all of his perfection.

"Quite the little hypocrite whore, aren't we?"

And, just like that, the illusion was shattered. Shame rose within her.

"I should send you back to your father, disgraced. I wonder, did you consider your consorting with my brother before you publicly humiliated Beryl and yourself? Calling her a whore," He tisked, a cruel smile on his face. "Ironic."

Serenity stared down at her dress. "That's not fair." Her voice sounded strained, even to her ears. "Kunzite is a friend. We have never been more than that. Not that I owe you an explanation, " She sighed. "But our relationship was always very innocent. It isn't my fault that the merger bonded me to the wrong brother for life. Trust me, I would rather not be in this with you."

She finally looked at him and found him assessing her. After what seemed like a protracted moment, he spoke. "I couldn't care less about your feelings. You're mine, and that's how it will stay."

Serenity tensed in irritation, her hand forming a fist at her side. "In that case, it'd probably be in both of our interests if you would keep your bloody _whore_ on her leash. Before I, as you so fondly said, _publicly humiliated_ Beryl and myself, she was busy bragging to all that could hear about your length and your_ girth, _and your magnificent love-making skills_. _Of course, those were her words and not mine because, as you well know, I wouldn't know anything of the sort about that."

Endymion smirked, amused. "Wife, you sound as though you want to find out."

Serenity glowered. "Oh, you have a minute before you go to Beryl, do you?"

Endymion was quiet. He pushed himself off of the door before moving towards Serenity until he was standing so close that they were almost touching. Serenity looked up at him, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulder. She felt herself begin to shake, unused to their close proximity. The few times over the past year that he had been this close had caused strange things to happen to her – as if she were no longer in control of her hormones, her emotions. He brought a hand up and tenderly pushed her unruly hair away from her face, leaning down until his lips were only a hair's breadth away. His eyes shone an emotion that Serenity had never seen before, barely recognized. She was caught. It took a moment to register, but his voice, in a whisper, finally reached her ear.

"Weak."

Serenity's eyes fluttered open. "What?" She breathed.

"You're weak. How could my brother be so enamored with such a weak woman?"

Serenity froze. "Weak..." She repeated, numbly. She stood there, not fully registering as Endymion proceeded to leave the room. She could vaguely remember a time when she was happy, carefree even. Now, she was just a shell of her former self. Weak.

The door clicked.

On the other side of the door, an exhausted Endymion slumped against the wall, his posture and cold façade unraveling. That had been close – he had nearly lost himself in her presence, nearly given in to the temptation to kiss her soft, full lips. They had beckoned to him in a way that no woman ever had, no woman ever could. His face crumpled. He had to do this. He hated it, but he had to. He had to let her think him a monster because if he didn't...

He couldn't let himself think of that. Shaking himself of those sinister thoughts, he straightened himself and walked off. Soon enough, he reassured himself. He had business to take care of.

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That felt a lot longer than it actually was while I was writing lol. I hope you guys liked the first chapter! Stay tuned.


	2. Chapter 2

Querida Usagi

Hey everyone! Just to avoid confusion, you should know that the next few chapters will have flashbacks incorporated in them, this chapter largely consisting of them. Also, thank you all for the lovely reviews! You guys really motivated me to get this chapter going. :) Anyway, read on and enjoy!

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**Soundtrack****: **Live to Tell - Madonna

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Serenity had known of her father's financial troubles for the past few months. She only realized how bad it had gotten once she caught wind of his rapidly deteriorating health. Almost immediately after getting off the phone with his housekeeper, she had put a halt to her studies with every intention of taking care of him. After all, this was the man who had raised her all on his own – motherless. He had never remarried; had no one close to him to care for him. So, she ventured hours away, withdrawing from school. There was always later for her education. Right now, her father needed her.

Their butler, Mr. Charleston, had met her at the airport. She smiled to herself as she spotted the distinctive balding head of red and grey hair. "Mr. Charleston!" She greeted him warmly as she lunged into his open arms. He chuckled and stumbled back a bit before embracing the young woman that he had known since she was a tiny tot of just five.

"You look exquisite." He held her at arms length, giving her a good once-over. "I missed your face around the house, Miss Serenity."

"And I, you."

Picking up her bags, they moved swiftly towards the car. "Where's Rubeus?" She asked, inquiring of her father's driver.

Mr. Charleston heaved Serenity's bags one by one into the trunk of the Lincoln, remaining uncharacteristically silent. Serenity positioned herself so that she was standing in front of her and could avoid her eyes no longer. She cleared her throat, delicately. "Mr. Charleston?"

"He quit, Miss Serenity..." Mr. Charleston sighed, giving in. "Your father could no longer afford to pay him."

Serenity's eyes widened in alarm. So it was that bad. "How is he doing? Please be honest with me..."

"He's seen better days. Why don't we just leave now, Miss Serenity? Come on, in the car. The sooner we leave, the sooner you can see for yourself."

Her face pressed against the window of the car, Serenity soaked in the familiar scenery of her driveway. It was what seemed to be a long stretch of forest, elegantly paved with a winding road that led to an imposing, looming manor. As a child, she had always found Silver Moon Manor adventurous; now, she found it eerie.

After a number of (some tearful) reunions and a promise from Mr. Charleston to carry her bags to her room, she finally made it to her father's study. From outside, she picked up the hum of voices. Listening closely, she heard her father's voice lift in volume, elevating above his guest's.

"Absolutely not!" She made out, her ear pressed against the door. Inwardly, she rolled her eyes at herself. What was she, twelve? She was a grown woman, for goodness sake, and grown women certainly did not eavesdrop. Leaning away from the door, she picked up the distinguished sound of a voice that was not her father's. It sounded almost... soothing, in her opinion. The voices continued for a moment before stopping (in what sounded like agreement to Serenity, but who could be sure, really), and Serenity caught the sound of footsteps with just enough time to leap away from the door.

The door swung open and out walked a man that Serenity could only label god-like. He was simply _beautiful_. She understood that beautiful was often an ill-received word to describe men; however, she thought to herself that no other word could suitably illustrate him. Her father, close behind him, peered at Serenity in surprise. "Serenity! You're early, darling! This is Endymion Shields," he said, motioning towards the man before her. "Endymion, this is my Serenity."

The man named Endymion gazed at her before smirking in amusement. At that moment, she realized with chagrin that she had almost certainly been staring longer than appropriate, but her embarrassment stemmed mostly from being caught, and less from regret. She noticed his hand outstretched for hers, and quickly took it, surprised when he brought it to his lips and laid a gentle kiss.

"If you'll excuse me," Endymion smiled, his eyes locking onto her startled blues. "I have to be on my way." He began walking away, calling to her father over his shoulder. "I'll see you soon, Ken."

Serenity's eyes followed him down the hallway until she could no longer see him, tracing his profile with her eyes. "Daddy, who was that?" She inquired before turning to face him. She was astonished to see the stony, faraway look in his eyes as he too looked down the hallway. She tried again, placing her hand on his forearm in concern. "Daddy?"

Her father shivered, shaken out of his haze. "Serenity, come inside. We must talk."

* * *

Serenity sat inside of her father's study, silent and wide-eyed.

"Serenity." Her father tried for the umpteenth time, met with her unresponsive face. "Serenity, please say something."

"I thought you were sick."

That wasn't quite what he had expected. Sitting before her on the edge of his desk, he nodded. "I am sick."

"When did you have time to make these arrangements? Glenda told me you were practically on your deathbed."

"A bit of an overstatement, but I was much worse a few days ago."

"I just," Serenity swallowed, her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. "I just don't understand quite how I became a part of this... this deal?"

"Serenity, my darling," He leaned towards her, clasping her small hands in his own. "You don't have to do this. Just say the word and it's off."

"I want to know why, father."

Ken Tsukino closed his eyes in exhaustion. He recognized that she deserved the answers to all of her questions, but his sickness had drained all of the liveliness out of him. "I wanted the company to stay in our family. You couldn't possibly run it by yourself... This was the best way. The most sensible way."

Serenity raised an eyebrow at him. There were many ways one could describe this sham of a business deal, but _sensible?_

Ken caught her thoughts as if he plucked them directly from her head. "You can say no." He said, resignedly.

Serenity tipped back in her chair, appraising her father. He looked bad. Worse than bad, actually – terrible. His skin was pallid, tired. The skin around his eyes looked dark and drawn, and he looked so _thin_. It was as if he hadn't been eating anything at all. Had he been this concerned over his company? That was dangerous – and, frankly, careless. She realized that without a job she had little hope of being able to take care of him on her own, but in two years, she would have her law degree. She shuffled around awkwardly in her seat before returning her attention to her father.

"How long would I have to stay married to him before I could take the company over myself?"

"You can't possibly think my company would allow a woman with no experience in business to take over, Serenity."

Serenity was about to respond crossly when she realized, belatedly, that he was entirely correct. The old bags that worked with her father would never allow it. They would much rather prefer a young, business savvy Endymion Shields to take over than little Serenity Tsukino, whom most of them had known for all of her life. It was the lesser of two evils, really.

"I need your answer, darling. Be honest. Can you do this?"

She thought over her situation for a moment, picturing in her mind the striking man that she would be engaged to. He had looked at her and it was as if he had seen right through her. She didn't believe in love at first sight by any stretch of the imagination, but she did believe in passion. Thirty minutes after he had left, and she was still suffering from the after-effects. She could certainly imagine herself coming home to that everyday. Was it just her, or was it burning hot inside of her father's study? She looked at her father, his eyes expectant. He seemed okay – he was wearing a long sleeved shirt, so... yes, she supposed it was just her. Exhaling heavily, she placed her head in her hands, disregarding her father's worried expression. From what her father told her, Endymion Shields was promising and more than capable of turning around the company – not to mention, the only person willing to. She knew her father in all probability had suffered many sleepless nights thinking about this. His company was his first baby after all, raised and nurtured by his hands. It all came down to one sobering fact: She loved her father, and she would do anything she could in order to preserve his failing health.

"Okay."

Ken Tsukino smiled gently – and a little sadly – at his daughter. He'd thought she would say that. "Come," He beckoned, ushering her out of her seat and through the door. "Cook prepared your favorite lunch."

Serenity was laying in bed later that night when the important question, the question she hadn't bothered to ask, occurred to her.

_Why would Endymion Shields agree to such a thing?_

The next afternoon, she met with Mina at a small, roadside bistro in their hometown. She noticed Mina instantaneously, waving genially and motioning for her to take a seat. "Sere!" She gave her a quick embrace before returning to her seat. "Do you see that waiter over there? I've been flirting with him the whole time I've been here. Isn't he delicious?"

Serenity rolled her eyes at her friend's antics, joining in Mina's infectious laughter. "You shameless hussy. You'll never change. Have you been here long?"

"I took my lunch break early, but no, not too long. How's your father?"

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about – what is that?" Serenity squinted her eyes at the tabloid lying indiscriminately in front of Mina's coffee mug.

"Daily Star. I used to get this all the time, don't you remember?"

"No, I meant who, _who _is that?"

"Oh, him? That's Endymion Shields. Heir to a hotel empire. He has to be the most unbelievably good-looking man I've ever laid my eyes on. I would trade my day job for one night with him." Serenity's eyes were glued to the tabloid, her skin gradually becoming disagreeably red and splotchy. "He clearly has exceptionally poor taste in women though if his ongoing fling with Beryl St. Claire is any indication." Mina's nose scrunched up in revulsion at the scantily clad woman pictured next to Endymion, absentmindedly flipping her long golden hair over her shoulder. "What is your _problem?_" She squealed when Serenity snatched the tabloid up from underneath her nose so quickly as to nearly give her a paper cut.

No response. She watched in bewilderment as Serenity's eyes devoured the page.

"_Serenity!"_

Serenity dropped the tabloid as if it burned her, before looking at Mina in astonishment. "That is my fiancé." Her voice was flat, but her eyes betrayed her conflicting emotions.

Mina was still. Abruptly, she leapt across the table, very nearly spilling her coffee in her haste to feel Serenity's forehead with the back of her hand. "Are you okay? Are you sure you're feeling all right? I can take you home."

Serenity swatted Mina's hand away in exasperation. "I'm fine. That's what my father needed to speak to me about. He –"

"Hello, ladies. Are you ready to order?"

Mina turned towards the waiter with equal parts irritation and impatience. "Come back later! Shoo!"

The waiter, a gawky acne-ridden teenager, scampered away in bafflement.

Serenity's jaw dropped. "I can't believe you just did that."

Mina brushed her off, unconcerned. "I wanted the cute waiter anyway. Tell me everything."

Once Mina was adequately filled in, she leaned back in her chair silently. "I – wow. I'm surprised that you accepted. When is the wedding?"

"A month."

"A month?" Mina gasped. "Serenity, this is insane."

"I know," Serenity conceded, her voice just above a whisper. "But I have a good feeling about this. I think it'll be okay."

"And Beryl?"

"Well, we'll just have to figure that out. After all," The image of the man she was about to marry popped into her head. "Him and I aren't married yet."

* * *

"So what did you dream of becoming when you were a child?"

Endymion chuckled, turning onto his side to face his new bride. It had been two days since their wedding, and yet, it felt as if they'd been married forever in some respects. They were laying in the comfortable darkness of their new bedroom, Serenity in a simple t-shirt and him in a simple pair of boxer briefs. "That was random." He moved closer to her, tracing her silhouette lazily with his finger. "Why?"

"Endy!"

"Endy," He caressed her cheek affectionately, kissing her lips softly. "I like that."

Serenity blushed. She was thankful for the darkness of the room. "I don't know. I suppose I'm just curious about your childhood. We've only had, what, ten dates? And then, bam, marriage."

"I have to tell you, those were ten _glorious _dates. Though I nearly had to beg each time for a goodnight kiss."

Serenity laughed heartily, throwing her head back onto her pillow. He loved the sound of her laughter – light and musical. "You exaggerate. And, anyway, I couldn't be certain of you with Beryl still in your life."

"Serenity," Endymion groaned into his pillow. "Beryl and I were over long before you came into the picture. I've told you already, she meant – means - nothing to me. The tabloids print what they want to."

"You still didn't answer my question."

"Ah. Yes," He fingered a lock of her silvery hair, captivated. It seemed to glow and accentuate her beauty in the moonlight. "I dreamt of becoming an astronaut."

Serenity was delighted. "An astronaut? Wow," She grinned. "Endymion Shields, the astronaut. You know, it's not too late."

"Oh, it's not, is it?" His voice was husky, filled with mirth. He leaned into her, making her breath catch in her throat. "What if I told you I have another dream? An even better one?"

"A better one?" She gulped, her nerves overriding. As soon as she heard her own very clear gulp, she flushed a bright red. Oh, that was her, all right. A smooth operator.

"A _much_ better one." He moved himself in between her legs, trapping her underneath him with his smooth, muscular arms. Serenity shuddered, her stomach tying itself in knots. She could make out his body in the moonlight, taut and strong. "As a matter of fact, you're in it."

"Me?" She breathed, her eyes fastened to his lips. She licked hers uneasily, simultaneously anticipating and dreading what was to come.

"You." He leaned in, capturing her parted lips in a heated kiss. She moaned, her body melting instantly. When his hands began to explore her body towards the south, she felt herself tense. "Endy," She protested softly, her hands resting on his warm chest.

He stilled, and for a moment she feared she had disappointed him. She relaxed, relief washing through her, when he kissed her forehead sweetly and pulled her close, rolling himself onto his back contentedly.

"Whenever you're ready, sweet Serenity."

* * *

Serenity gripped her night table, her knuckles white as the snapshots formed in her mind. She realized glumly that Mina had probably been waiting in the parlor for her for over twenty minutes now, but she couldn't find the strength within her to move. She clenched her eyes shut in grief as she allowed her memories to wash over her.

* * *

Tonight was the night.

It had been a few days since she had rejected him for the first time, and he had taken it swimmingly. Rejected was a bit of a strong word, actually. It wasn't as if she hadn't _wanted_ to give herself to him. It was simply insecurity building upon nerves, and she was certain at that moment that she couldn't have gone through with it. Seeing his beautiful face gazing down at her was nearly too much – she had shied away from his advances, fearing she wouldn't be able to live up to his expectations. He had so much experience and, yes, it wasn't as if he was her first, but it was still intimidating. Tonight, though - it would happen. She was sure of it. Never in her life had a man made her burn up the way Endymion did. He was magnificent – considerate, kind, witty, and – as trite as it all sounded - so full of life.

She stood in front of the mirror in their shared bathroom and evaluated herself. Her eyes ran down the length of her slim, toned body. Her creamy, lily-white breasts were pushed together, held up by a lacy black bra and a matching thong that sat welcomingly on the curve of hips. Her face was made up minimally with mascara accentuating her long lashes and a plush pink lip gloss to add some color to her full lips. Hearing a door slam downstairs, she realized her husband was home. Hurriedly, she ran her hands through her wavy waist length hair, tousling it gently. She scampered back into their bedroom, leaping into their king-sized bed and climbing underneath the covers. She smiled as she recognized the familiar pitter-patter of her heart when he was around. She felt anxious for what was to come.

After waiting for, what she thought was, something near ten minutes, she was extremely curious. Endymion usually came upstairs to greet her straightaway after work. Curiosity drove her out of bed and, slipping on a heavy robe draped over her vanity, she tiptoed down the stairs. She smiled kindly at a member of the household staff as she passed by, before starting at the sound of glass shattering around the corner. She looked into the maid's startled eyes prior to reacting, running around the corner only to be met with a chilling sight – Endymion, deathly still and expressionless, staring at the wall of the his study, broken pieces of glass littering the floor. Serenity's eyes moved to the empty spot where a pricey antique crystal vase used to stand.

Carefully, she stepped into the room, her eyes fixed on his unmoving form. "...Endy?"

He didn't respond. He didn't even turn to look at her. Instead, he brushed past Serenity as silently as he had come, making his way up the dark, winding stairwell. Serenity watched him go, perplexed and more than a little disturbed. She made her way up the stairs after him and that was the moment that seemed to change everything. Before her foot even made it to the landing, she registered a telltale 'click' from their bedroom door. Suddenly, she felt naked and naïve – nothing like the confident seductress she had aspired to become for the night. She tightened her robe around her body, looking down the shadowy hallway uneasily. It was difficult to believe that only a few hours ago the house had begun to feel like a home to her. Now, she was locked out of their shared bedroom for whatever reason, and she was beginning to feel like a guest once again.

Wearily, she travelled down the hallway, picking a quaint bedroom and calling it a night. Whatever Endy's problem was would be sorted out in the morning. Maybe she could even make him breakfast. She had a special recipe for the pancakes she'd loved as a child. He clearly needed to be alone tonight and, even as loneliness began to swell inside of her, she tucked herself into bed and closed her eyes. Tomorrow was another day.

But, as it seemed, Endymion had other plans. Serenity sat quietly at the breakfast table large enough to seat fifty, all the while picking uninterestedly at her pancakes. The plate of pancakes she had made for Endymion grew colder and colder by the minute, and her appetite seemed to wane as her worry increased exponentially. She racked her brain for a moment, wondering if she had said something to offend him in the days before. Rubbing at her make-up less eyes, she suddenly felt extremely tired and, feeling the desire to return to bed, she pushed away from the table.

"Mrs. Shields?"

Serenity's head snapped upwards, not even having realized before that moment that she had company. A member of the kitchen staff, a pretty red-haired girl who couldn't be older than twenty, looked at her expectantly. She motioned politely to the uneaten plates on the table. "Are you finished?"

"Yes." Serenity eyed her, sleepily. "What is your name?"

"Molly, ma'am."

"Molly..." Serenity smiled warmly, a yawn escaping only seconds later. "Please, call me Serena. I could certainly use a friend around here." It had been years since she had spoken her childhood nickname, but she craved familiarity almost as much as she missed her husband.

Molly returned the smile, shyly. "Serena." She nodded, watching Serenity in interest as she exited the dining room. She had heard rumors of Endymion's recent behavior, and she sincerely hoped that the source of his dark moods would be stomped out immediately. Serenity Shields appeared to be too lovely of a person to be handled in such a manner.

The next week felt like years to Serenity. With no word from Endymion, nary a glimpse of him in passing, Serenity felt lost. Mina had been extremely busy for the past few weekends for some reason or another, and that fact had made Serenity yearn for the feeling of productivity. She wanted to feel needed – as if she were doing something... as if she belonged in this mansion that was unquestionably, it appeared, destined to be her prison for an indeterminable amount of time. She decided to do some shopping of her own, and upon returning home, almost felt okay.

That is, until the door opened and Beryl St. Claire stepped outside, bypassing Serenity with a cool smirk on her face. "Mrs. Shields." She greeted, tossing her ruby curls over her shoulder and ambling past her towards the discreet black automobile waiting for her. Serenity felt her heart clench. Was that where he had been all week? With _her?_ As if that weren't hurtful enough, he had brought the woman into their new home. Disbelief spread throughout her body like wildfire. How could he do that to her?

Serenity dropped her bags in the hallway and charged towards her husband's study. Seeing the light pouring from underneath his door, she rapped on the door, urgency and anger filling her. "Endymion!" She bellowed. "Endymion, I know you're in there!" She stopped knocking, her chest beginning to heave. She heard shuffling in the room, and then there was silence. A familiar lump made its way to her throat. "Endymion!"

More silence.

"Endy?" Her voice cracked in distress.

"I think he's in work-mode. Don't take it personally."

Serenity twirled around to face the unfamiliar voice, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "Who - "

"Kunzite." The man beamed at her, overlooking her distraught appearance. "Your new brother-in-law." He closed the distance between them, pulling her into a bear hug. Her petite figure drowned in his much larger one. She awkwardly patted him on the back, unsure of how to react.

When he pulled away, Serenity peered at him inquisitively. He was fully aware of her inquiringly gaze and smiled in return. "I was just about to watch a movie. Join me?"

He sensed her hesitation immediately. He had no intention of taking no for an answer. The silver-haired woman before him was indisputably breathtaking, but curiously despondent. It tugged strongly on his heartstrings to see someone so absurdly beautiful so dispirited. Oddly enough, he felt determined to bring a smile to her face the moment he spotted her from down the hall. And if he were to be completely honest with himself, he knew that he had no plans of watching a movie, no plans of spending time with anyone, before he saw her. After seeing his brother this morning, he had felt irritable - he had been on his way out of the house only a moment ago. Regardless, he thought, now was as good a time as any to get to know his brother's new bride.

"If you tell me no, it'll break my heart."

Serenity exhaled, not really feeling in the mood to joke.

"I have ice cream."

She looked at him, sharply, distrust in her eyes. "What flavor?"

"Chocolate, vanilla, butter pecan..."

Serenity sighed, her eyes sliding over the door of Endymion's study. "All three, whipped cream with nuts, and you've got a deal."

Kunzite threw his head back and laughed appreciatively, eliciting a small smile from Serenity. Assuring her that he would have staff bring her shopping bags upstairs, he looped his arm around Serenity's and led her down the hall. "I think I like you already."

He would soon learn, over the course of the next few months, just how much of an understatement that would become.

* * *

So I tried to get this chapter out as soon as I could because the next chapter may take a little bit of time. Hopefully it won't be too long before I can upload that chapter, but I do have a lot on my plate at the moment (sorry!). The good news is there will definitely be an interlude chapter coming up soon-ish. I hope you enjoyed! Ja ne!


	3. Interlude

Querida Usagi

Hi everyone! This chapter is a brief interlude, so at this point, the storyline isn't really progressing forward yet. This is just a flashback.

**AM: **To answer your question, Serenity did not know Kunzite before she met Endymion; she met Kunzite afterwards. I'm sorry if that didn't seem clear! In the first chapter, she tells Mina that the deal bound her to Endymion before Kunzite even came into her life, alluding to the fact that she developed feelings for Kunzite _after _she was married. Hope that clears things up! You write the most helpful reviews, I love it.

Also, to **afallenblackrose **and **mojacko1984**: I love that type of Usa/Mamo fanfiction too! You should check out Cold by Emerald-words if you haven't already.

Thank you all for your lovely reviews! You're fabulous.

* * *

**Soundtrack**: Not at Home – Clint Mansell & Peter Broderick

* * *

Serenity gazed into the mirror, the soft lighting above spilling over her vanity. Carefully, she traced her lips with a striking berry lip stain, followed by a matching berry gloss. Pushing away from her vanity, she assessed her appearance in the mirror. Her hair was perfectly polished, falling in a mass of sensual waves and curls down to her narrow waist. She wore a flattering deep blue dress with lace overlay that hugged her full chest and flared gently at the hips. She had gone as far as lining her eyes with kohl, smoky and undeniably sexy, in her opinion. She never wore kohl, preferring a natural appearance on most days, but tonight... tonight was different.

Tonight, he had looked at her.

And it was not just any look. No, he had looked at her with _lust._

She had just stepped out of her bathroom, patting her silver hair dry with a towel and naked as the day she was born. She hadn't expected that he'd be in her room, waiting for her. He was sitting on the edge of her bed, his eyes dark – darker than she'd ever seen them. Startled, she dropped the towel she had been holding. She couldn't tell if it was the low lights playing tricks on her, but his eyes seemed to drink her in as they leisurely trailed down her body – lingering on her breasts, her hips, her legs... before meeting her own eyes. She stood, arrested. Her chest and face burned red; she could feel the raw heat of her anxiety.

"Come here." He beckoned to her from the bed, his voice husky. Mesmerized by his tone, she obeyed.

Parting his legs, he gently caught her hands and pulled her closer to him. From his sitting position, he looked up at her, his eyes aflame with desire. Serenity's breath caught in her throat. "Endymion-" She began, but he silenced her, his hands tenderly and possessively tracing the delicate curve of her hips. She watched him quietly as he leaned in towards her, laying a single, scorching kiss in-between her breasts. Endymion's gaze was unwavering.

The breath that she had been holding burst forth as she stepped away from him, her eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment. Each held the other's gaze for a long moment before Endymion stood.

Focusing on a spot on the wall above her, he addressed her evenly. "The car will be here in thirty minutes. Don't be late. Mina sends her apologies; she cannot make it to the ball tonight."

Her mouth was still slightly agape when she nodded mechanically, her eyes searching his face for a trace of emotion. Endymion, however, betrayed no sentiment and, if he continued to feel that all-consuming desire she had detected before, he was most definitely skilled at hiding it.

"You should get dressed." He called over his shoulder on his way out. "You don't have much time."

Serenity's eyes dropped towards the clock, the numbers glaring. Her heart was racing; she could hear the blood pumping feverishly through her body. What the hell had that been about? Just when she'd become accustomed to his coldness, he went and pulled this. Something fluttered dangerously within her chest. What was that – hope? Pursing her lips in determination, she moved swiftly.

Thirty minutes would be plenty.

* * *

Safely down the hall, an urgent call was being made. "Beryl," Endymion dryly addressed the woman on the other end of the phone, his face grim. "There's been a change of plans. I'm going to need you there tonight."

* * *

Yes, it's short, I know! It's not a real chapter, just an interlude. I hope you enjoyed! Be sure to review :).


	4. Chapter 3

Querida Usagi

Here's a good question: Why is it that every time I post a chapter, it happens to be at some ungodly hour? ;) Thank you for your continued support!

**AM: **As I was writing this chapter, I thought of you! Yes, the reason why Endymion is behaving the way that he is won't be fully revealed for a few torturous chapters, rest assured. And I'm happy you approve of all the semi-colons lol :P.

Here's chapter three for all my patient readers. Love you all!

* * *

**Soundtrack: **Dance - Rebecca & Fiona

* * *

"When are you going to tell her you're being blackmailed?"

"Beryl," Endymion growled in warning, his eyes fixed on the computer screen before him. Beryl sat rigidly across from him, her flaming red hair tied up in an elegant chignon. She squirmed in her seat as Endymion typed, unperturbed. She had been sitting here for something like a half hour, complete with him actively _ignoring_ her for most of that time, and her patience was beginning to wear thin. Frustrated, she slammed her hands down on his desk.

"Endymion, my reputation is in shambles!"

"And you've been handsomely compensated."

"What, you think that your money is enough? You bastard, I've known you since you were in grade school. Is that all you think of me?"

"I've seen you chase after enough billionaires to know it means a lot to you." As soon as the words left his mouth, Endymion was filled with regret. He looked almost apologetic as he leaned back in his posh leather chair to face Beryl, her face twisted in disappointment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. You don't get it, Beryl. If I told her what was going on, it would destroy her. I have to keep this up long enough to throw a dog off of my trail."

He swallowed, looking uncertain of how to go on. "I love her. She doesn't know it, but I love her. And I want to show her. I want her to know. I just have to figure out a way out of this."

Beryl nodded, wordlessly. Her eyes downcast, she spoke. "How do you know that she'll stick around long enough for that to happen?"

Endymion returned to his computer, but he read nothing. "I don't."

"Well," Beryl mused, her eyes filling with mischief. "In the meantime, we could always make good on those rumors we're spreading. You're looking a little tense."

Endymion shot Beryl a look that had her straighten like a poker in her seat. "I don't know if you heard me, but about twenty seconds ago, I told you I love my wife. I meant that. She is everything – _everything_ – you are not, and more. You'll watch your mouth... And your hands."

He swerved in his chair, his full attention on her now. "Take your girlish games elsewhere, Beryl."

Beryl rolled her eyes and examined her nails, but there was no hiding the shame coloring her cheeks. "Whatever. I wasn't being serious anyway."

Endymion took a sip of his coffee, his eyes laughing at her above the mug.

"Who's behind this anyway? What could anyone possibly have on you that would have you jeopardizing your marriage to the strumpet you love so much?"

Pointedly ignoring her jab, Endymion set his still steaming coffee down. "This is delicious. What is this? Pumpkin?"

Beryl's lips stretched thin. "I don't know," She bit. "Why didn't you ask the maid when she brought it to you?"

"I bet Serenity bought this. She's been on a pumpkin spree this past week. I heard she's been making pumpkin spice pancakes every morning."

"Aww," Beryl cooed, mockingly. "Harboring affection for your quasi-estranged wife. How very sweet. Don't change the subject!"

"You know that I can't tell you, Beryl."

"Can't or won't?"

"Well," Endymion shut off the computer and instead turned to focus on a sizable pile of papers sitting on his desk. "In this case, they're interchangeable." Ignoring her, he began to go through the pile, slowly marking each page with his pen.

"Fine. I can see I'm no longer welcome. You know where to find me."

Endymion nodded and waved her off, his eyes never leaving the paper. As Beryl reached the door, she heard him call to her.

"Oh, and Beryl?"

She looked back, an eyebrow raised.

"Strumpet? Really?"

Beryl laughed, closing the door behind her – but not before he caught a good view of her middle finger.

* * *

"Kunz, seriously? Give me back my ice cream!"

"This is amazing. Is this _pumpkin_? I have never had pumpkin ice cream before."

"Kunzite!"

"I didn't even know such a thing existed."

"I'm about three seconds away from jabbing my finger into your eye."

Kunzite burst into laughter, his body shaking in delight as he handed Serenity her bowl of pumpkin ice cream, attractively adorned with chocolate sprinkles. He shifted his weight on the leather sofa they were sharing before teasingly poking at her side with his foot. "So testy... Something the matter, love?"

"I saw Beryl about half an hour ago, walking into the house."

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "That's the third time this week."

"Yes," Serenity scowled, her mouth full of ice cream. "Sauntering into the house with the familiarity of someone who lives here. You'd think the woman would take a hint."

He raised any eyebrow, questioning her statement. "You mean to tell me you actually gave her a hint?"

"All I'm saying is that if she couldn't feel the arctic winds of my hatred, then she really is daft."

Kunzite watched her in fascination as a bit of ice cream escaped from the side of her mouth. "To think, you were such a lady yesterday."

She suppressed the urge to snort and instead rolled her eyes, digging into her frozen dessert. A lady. Yes, it took effort to be a lady 24/7 and, frankly, she wasn't in the mood to act prim, proper, or any of the trite adjectives that came with being a"lady" – or an adult, for that matter. Lately, she'd felt the itch to yell 'Screw the world!' but really, considering she was bound to this house with nothing serious to do most of the time, that screwing would have to be extremely figurative.

She felt Kunzite pick up her foot and place it in his warm lap, massaging it affectionately. "I'm kidding."

Serenity's eyes connected with his. He hesitated fleetingly before speaking. "Have you thought about divorcing him?"

Ah. The dreaded D word.

"I won't divorce him, Kunzite."

"I don't understand why you won't even consider it."

"Drop it."

"Okay," He moved her foot from his lap, gathering her bowl and his empty glass before walking towards the kitchen. "But don't think I didn't notice that you said won't, and not _can't_, Ren."

"Kunzite!" She called moodily after his retreating body, twisting her body to watch him walk away. "What exactly are you getting at?"

"I should think it's obvious."

Frowning, she slumped in the couch and returned her attention to their large flat screen television. Her mood had been consistently deteriorating since the day after the ball and, although she realized this, she couldn't manage to successfully pull herself out of this funk. Not to mention the fact that she had been on the receiving end of many-a-hint from Kunzite this past week, and it was starting to grate on her nerves. She loved him, she honestly did, but not the way that he wanted her to. To be truthful, she wished with a burning intensity that she did love him the way that he loved her because then she might have some incentive to exit this marriage. In the back of her mind, she recognized that this was a foolish wish, as it would only result in more complication - bless her father. But what could possibly be more complicated than this?

Sometimes, she felt herself succumb to his affections. Nothing had every happened between them – not for lack of trying on his part. She had never let anything escalate past the intimate touches here and there. Kunzite was, most of the time, a wonderful friend and companion, aside from the few (and more frequently occurring) moments where his desire for her and her desire for _someone_ resulted in lapses of judgment. Of course she knew the someone she had in mind, but she refused to go there in her current state of mind.

She watched distractedly as she flipped through channels, her mind wandering. What she really needed was not in this room. If she sat here any longer, it would only result in a mental review of her abject desires, and that was absolutely not on her agenda for the day (agenda – what a joke). She needed fresh air. Turning the TV off, Serenity sat back, her body sinking into the couch.

Fresh air was exactly what she needed.

* * *

Serenity's hand clutched at her purse, holding it tightly by her side. She hadn't been out in this town alone in what, two months_? _She couldn't quite remember, but she knew it had been an extended amount of time. Nevertheless, she'd hoped to have a pleasant day alone with Beryl, Kunzite and, most importantly, Endymion far from her thoughts; however, looking at the scene before her, she wasn't sure that this was _quite _what she had in mind. In fact, she was certain that she could bear the thought of Endymion today if she could avoid this situation all together.

Her face paled as the woman before her struggled with her assailant. She faltered briefly as she assessed the situation, not quite knowing what to do as she deduced from the tall woman's yelling that the two were acquainted. Looking around, she noticed that nobody seemed to be paying attention to the couple, but instead were going about their ways as if nothing were out of the ordinary. What was _up _with this town anyway? Was this some sort of normal occurrence?

Shaking her head, she almost decided to keep walking. What was she supposed to say exactly? _YOU CAN'T YELL AT A WOMAN, you A-HOLE! _Yelling wasn't exactly a _crime_ and, she winced internally, the raven-haired woman seemed to be doing her share of screeching. But when the man struck her and raised his hand in an effort to hit her again, she knew she had to step in.

"Stop it!" She hollered, swinging her purse threateningly. "Don't you dare put your hands on her!"

The blonde man acknowledged her presence just in time to have his nose all but smashed in by her large purse. He reeled backwards, grasping his nose. Righting himself, he wheezed at her sourly. "Are you _insane?_ What did you do that for, you crazy bitch?!"

Serenity felt all the resentment towards her broken marriage well up inside of her. "Because I'm a crazy bitch." She hissed, stepping protectively in front of the woman. "And you'll have to peel your face off of my purse if you don't get out of here right now."

When the man didn't move, she fished her phone out of her purse and looked at him seriously. "I can have the police here in two minutes."

Glaring icily at her, he retreated. "This isn't over, bitch."

"Oh," Serenity quipped, easily. "I'm pretty sure it is."

She found the quiet woman behind her, cradling her cheek. "May I?" She requested, removing the woman's hand. Squinting, she appraised the damage. "Ouch. That looks like it hurts." The woman in question regarded her suspiciously.

"I could have handled him myself." Came her cool reply.

Serenity looked dubiously at the red, rapidly swelling handprint on her cheek. Beyond that, she admired the woman's elegance. She had a regal sort of beauty that superseded the situation she found herself in.

Irritated, the woman's violet eyes pierced hers. "I would have, had you not interfered. Jadeite is harmless."

Serenity's forehead wrinkled as she met her gaze fully. "He didn't look so harmless."

The woman before her had the grace to blush, pulling her coat tighter around her body, self-consciously. "Yeah, well," She muttered under her breath. "This was a special situation."

Serenity seemed to accept that answer and cleared her throat, looking around. "Do you live nearby?"

"Why?"

"I just thought, if you were on your way home, I could walk you there, just in case he decides to circle back?"

"I don't think so. I have someplace to be, but thanks anyway."

"Oh," Serenity fingered the long silver braid of hair hanging over her shoulder. "Okay. Well, if you ever need anything - to talk or something - you should give me a call. My name is Serenity Shields. I can write down my number for you."

"Shields? You're a Shields?"

Serenity searched intently through her purse for a piece of paper and a stray pen. "Bingo..." Scribbling her number down, she spared a glance. "By marriage. You know the family?"

"Uh – no, I've just heard the name before."

"Ah. Yes. They're very well known, I guess." She placed the cap back on her pen, tossing it back into her bag. "Here you go." Serenity held out the paper, smiling.

"You know, I'm fine. Thanks, but no thanks."

Serenity withdrew her hand slowly, frowning as the woman turned around and swiftly walked away from her.

_Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding. _ "You're not going to even tell me your name?"

Why was it that people always seemed to be walking away from her?

So immersed in her thoughts was she, that she was caught unawares when a black town car pulled up beside her. Catching a flash of color from the corner of her eye, she turned to find her husband staring at her inquisitively from the comfort of his car, his face lit up in amusement. "Who are you talking to?"

"There was just..." Serenity's face scrunched up in annoyance. "What do you want?"

"Nothing." He replied. "I was actually on my way to a meeting when I spotted you standing here, all by yourself. Talking to yourself, actually. Who is it that is always walking away from you?"

Serenity looked skyward, embarrassment overtaking her. Had she really said that aloud?

"There's nothing to see here, Endymion. Move along."

His amusement slipped away almost as quickly as it appeared. His voice was chilly when he spoke. "Don't be home late." He rolled his tinted windows up until she could no longer see him, the car speeding away.

Serenity swiped at the cool sweat forming on her brow. Every encounter did something to her body. Every single encounter. Her feeling of helplessness gave way to silent indignation.

Don't be home late? Ha, she would see about that.

Spotting a peculiar café across the way, she was suddenly glad that she had the foresight to bring along her e-reader. The idea of being holed away in a warm café for hours just reading excited her. After a failed attempt at contacting Mina (her phone rang twice and went straight to voicemail, strangely – that was certainly a first), she started towards the building. The sign hanging over the door was a brilliant green and gold, with thunderbolts surrounding its name: Lita's. Inside was even cozier than she'd imagined. A few people sat quietly, scattered around the café. It was really a rather charming, old-fashioned little joint – and it had a reading section! She smiled widely as she spotted a corner with enticingly comfortable looking seats surrounding a rustic mahogany accent table.

Discarding her jacket and purse, she sunk into a plush loveseat, loving how it seemed to conform to her body. She beamed sleepily, flicking on her e-reader and only managing to get through a few pages before she drifted into a blissful slumber.

"_You are so beautiful."_

_He trailed kisses down her nude form, his inky black hair following closely. "So, so beautiful." Hazily, she watched him, unconsciously licking her bottom lip in anticipation._

_Her hands stroked his head warmly as he moved further downward._

"_I've been so bad." Endymion nipped teasingly at the flushed skin on the inside of her thigh. "Can you forgive me?"_

Clank!

Serenity shot upwards, her entire body on alert. How long had she been sleeping? It was nearly dark already. Wide-eyed and more than a little haggard, she gawked bemusedly at the familiar woman sitting across from her. The woman smirked as she took in Serenity's frazzled appearance. Mutely, she pushed the offending object towards Serenity with a half-smile on her face. It was a warm, golden croissant sitting atop a stylish triangular plate.

"It's a chocolate-filled croissant. Lita's specialty." She offered. "You look like the type that'd have a sweet tooth."

Serenity eyed her, apprehensively. Shrugging, she took a bite of the croissant, holding a hand underneath her mouth to catch any crumbs. "Mmm," She moaned, her eyes rolling upwards in contentment. "That is _good._"

The dark beauty's laugh resounded through the cafe, her mauve eyes twinkling. "I knew it."

The women shared a smile in understanding. Serenity was cognizant of the fact that this was her way of apologizing for earlier. The words were not spoken, but it was understood. It was the same way that she perceived that this woman with the charcoal hair knew that she'd accepted her apology. Not everyone's method of delivery would be the same - or this scrumptious, for that matter - and that didn't bother her one bit. Besides, who was she to turn down a peace offering? And despite every inclination not to, both felt, in that moment, that they could inexplicably trust each other.

"It's Rei, by the way. My name is Rei."

* * *

This chapter is a bit shorter than the first two, I know, but it needed to end here for the sake of the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 4

Querida Usagi

Happy New Year, everyone! Woooo, 2013!

I honestly felt like this chapter took forever to write. And yet, it's shorter than the rest, so hmm... I love that some of you are already trying to guess who the blackmailer is! I thought about giving a tiny clue in this chapter, but I decided not to. It's way more fun that way ;).

**AM:** Your review was so sweet! I completely agree with you; Mamoru not telling Usagi about his dreams was idiotic and I remember thinking while watching the series that all that mess could have been avoided had he just told her. I also thought that King Endymion sending him those dreams in the first place was mildly idiotic, but that's another story. I really hope you won't think the same of Endy's reasoning. I do want to smack him about a bit even if he is my character, but he means well.

**Cattykitty:** Well... you know what I think about all that already haha.

Anyway, thank you all for your continued support! I appreciate it so much. Also, sorry for the language in advance.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **Daniel (Mt Eden Remix) – Bat for Lashes

* * *

_I'll say this once and then never again._

_It took me one year to realize what I was doing wrong for so long, one month, _

_to recognize the irrefutable potential in one decision made on selfish impulse to shroud over me for eternity, _

_and this moment to finally see clearly that all of the little __insignificant__ choices that I've made over a small lifetime-_

_those same choices that seemed immaterial, favorable even to the most self-serving degree- _

_have begun to amass into something more poignant- imposing and so palpable that I can _

_thrust out my tongue and taste it, _

_chipping away at the shell of the person that I've built against the festoons of my loved ones._

This was maybe the fifth time she'd flipped the slip of paper over, irrationally scouring it for a name when she knew there was none. Who had written this? Was it left here on purpose? Was it dropped by accident? What did it mean? And could it... could it be whom she was imagining in her mind? Could _he_ have written this?

"Serenity." Rei beckoned to her, uncharacteristically meek, from her position outside of the door.

She called out an apology, hastily shoving the sheet of paper with the clean cursive poem, along with any accompanying thoughts, away and into her teal leather purse.

* * *

"So tell me about yourself. How long have you been married?"

"A year this January, actually."

"Ah, you're practically still in the honeymoon phase!"

"Oh," Serenity chuckled to herself, somewhat bitterly. "I wouldn't say that." They sat comfortably across from each other, Rei and Serenity, looking well acquainted with each other. In fact, this was their second meeting of the week and Serenity couldn't help but feel that they would quickly become friends. They convened at Lita's Bakery/Café, contentedly seated in the back. Serenity had told Rei of her childhood, her father's rapidly weakening health, her obsession with breakfast foods – more specifically, pancakes. She'd even talked about her abnormal relationship with Kunzite briefly, alluding to something that she wasn't quite sure of herself. Rather conveniently, though, she'd omitted the circumstances of her marriage, but that wasn't something you just blurted out to anyone. So then, why was it that she felt uneasy?

"I guess a year is sufficient for sex to go back to once a day." Rei said, teasingly. Serenity's eyes were drawn to the bright red lipstick Rei wore that popped attractively against her alabaster complexion and dark, _dark_ hair. She half-smiled in response.

"Yes. I guess it is." Because, what was she supposed to say to that?

"Jadeite and I had sex at least three times every single day for the first year of our marriage."

Serenity looked up from her chocolate croissant (it was _heaven_) to gawk at Rei, bewildered. "Jadeite? You mean that horrid little man that _hit_ you? You're telling me that you're _married_ to him?"

Rei was unfazed. "First of all, he is anything but little - " Serenity cringed at the crude implication. "Oh, stop. That's not how I meant it, however true it is. And second of all, I told you that was a special situation."

"You're not seriously trying to defend him? The first time was excusable seeing as you'd just gotten the marbles knocked out of you, but Rei... You have to know that there is no justification for him hitting you."

"No," Rei spoke, looking pensive. "I suppose there isn't, but I have to confess that I'd been trying to get under his skin."

Serenity wiped at her mouth with a napkin, placing it down slowly before humoring Rei. She had known this woman for barely even a day, and yet she felt like it had been forever. Although she was feeling a connection to the woman perched across from her, all she needed was sheer instinct to know that this conversation was going down a dodgy road. "What did you do?"

"I told him I slept with his brother."

"You did _what?_"

"Oh!" Rei waved her off. "I didn't actually sleep with him. Don't give me that look. I just told him that I did."

Serenity was appalled, her mouth hanging open in puzzlement. "And why on Earth would you do that?"

Rei sighed, sadness flickering before her eyes before they turned dark with indifference. "He's divorcing me. I wanted to hurt him the way he's hurt me."

Serenity swallowed, not believing what she was hearing, but feeling sorrow well up inside of her in response to Rei's very palpable pain. She'd tried to hide it, but there was no mistaking the betrayal in her eyes – Rei was visibly still in love with her husband and the divorce was clearly cutting her to the core. If there was anything Serenity knew about, it was a shitty marriage. She would recognize that stench anywhere.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why is he divorcing you? He was obviously extremely upset at the thought of you and his brother, so he can't be over you."

"Oh, you know, sibling rivalry and all that." Rei spoke, her eyes revealing the lie that was her uncaring tone. "He fell in love with another woman. Did the _right thing_ and broke it off with me first. Something about respecting me too much."

Serenity sipped at her tea, choosing not to respond right away. Her exchange with Jadeite ran through her mind – _this isn't over, bitch!_ Was she honestly supposed to believe that he was in any way respectful? A man that hit his wife, for all intents and purposes, and spewed words of hatred to random women? Granted, she'd slapped him in the face with her hefty, extremely expensive purse – buckle and all – but the image of him as a civil, remorseful husband refused to materialize. The most she could do was concede that she was, in fact, a crazy bitch in that moment.

"He hadn't cheated on me; he'd made that very clear." Rei spoke, her tone bitter and heavy. "He's always been very big on respect." She smirked. "He hates his brother. His brother was always favored by their mother, to the point that it bred resentment in him. I knew that he wouldn't be able to control his anger if I'd told him that I'd been sleeping with Zoi throughout our marriage. I also knew he'd never believe Zoi if he said otherwise. It was stupid and rash and all I'd wanted was for him to feel angry and pathetic like I did."

Reaching across the table for Rei's hand, Serenity gave her a little squeeze, comforting her without words. Rei squinted briefly as she faced the window to the left of her, holding back tears.

"Well," Rei began after she'd composed herself. "Enough of that. Tell me more about Endymion."

Surprised, Serenity loosened her hold on Rei's hand a bit. "I've told you everything there is to tell."

"Oh, that can't be all. You've been married for a year."

Now she was beginning to feel the edges of her discomfort.

"I," Serenity paused and removed her hand completely, sitting back in her chair. "I don't really have any interesting stories, if that's what you're asking for. We're just like every other married couple."

"That is so weak, Serenity. Give me the juice!"

"Listen," She sighed. She certainly was not ready to talk about her marriage, with someone she'd known less than a week no less. "I actually have some place to be in a few – "

"What?" Rei looked confused. "You told me you were free today."

"...I'll see you around, Rei."

"I'm sorry!" Rei called out, jumping out of her seat to grab Serenity before she moved out of the booth. Serenity looked positively shocked before she plopped herself back into her seat. "I'm sorry! I was prying. I heard... I know Beryl."

Serenity moved quickly. What the hell _was_ this? "Oh, well, in that case – "

"No! I mean – I'm not friends with Beryl; I was just – I was at the Kino charity ball. I heard; I'm sorry, please sit down. Please."

Serenity's face colored. "You heard - How many people know?"

Rei blanched, running a hand through her hair in a mixture of frustration and relief. "A few. Not many." She could tell that Serenity didn't believe her, though her face was expertly blank.

"Beryl has never been known for telling the truth. Nobody really believes her."

Serenity shrugged, anger exuding from her. "So what is this? A joke? You're pressing me to find out about Beryl? Is that why you told me about Jadeite? You thought we could brush each others' hair and gab about our asshole husbands?"

Rei looked hurt momentarily, but the feeling was trumped by anger. "No," She said, tartly. "I told you about Jadeite because you saw him _knock the marbles out of me_."

"_I'd_ like to knock the marbles out of you."

Rei's mouth twitched at Serenity's admission. Serenity looked away, attempting not to smile. She was still angry and she'd be damned if she let Rei see otherwise.

"So if nobody really believes her," Her eyes pierced Rei's. "Then what are you prying for?"

Rei swallowed. "Nobody believes her, but I can see it in your eyes."

Serenity leaned back, folding her arms across her chest, stubbornly. "Okay, so we're both unhappy. You caught me."

"I wasn't trying to catch you. I wanted to offer you something, but I wanted you to tell me about your situation first."

"What could you possibly want to offer me that would require knowing about my circumstances first?"

"It's a job."

"A _job?_"

"It's a job... here."

"As in Lita's?" Serenity laughed, disbelief written all over her face. "You're offering me a pity job? Oh, that is rich."

"Serenity, would you stop? It isn't a pity job." Rei looked seriously at the beautiful silver-haired woman. "When my marriage was ending... I knew. Somewhere deep inside of me, I knew, and I was heartbroken. These girls, they saved me. I want you to have my old job. You could use some saving."

"That's... bold."

Rei ignored her and continued. "It's only part-time. You need to get out of that house. Show him that you are somebody."

Serenity rubbed at her forehead, tiredly. Despite her misgivings, she knew that Rei was onto something. Was she that transparent? Anyway, it would allow her to get out more often. Hadn't that been exactly what she asked for? "Okay, Rei."

"Good. _Lita!_"

Whispering urgently, Serenity pinched Rei on her hand. "What are you _DOING_?"

"Ouch! Damn it – _LITA!_"

Hearing a chorus of pots clank to the floor in the back, they were both surprised when a stunning brunette in a sauce-smeared apron came stumbling out of the back. "What?!" Out of breath, she looked between the two women. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh no," Rei smiled slyly, winking at Serenity. "Everything is perfect. Serenity wants the job."

Slapping her forehead, she regarded Rei, wearily. "I knocked over my sous-chef to get out here."

"That's unfortunate."

"You don't care, do you?"

Rei gave her a sweet smile. "Not even a little."

"Well then," Lita plastered on a large smile as she turned to Serenity, reserving her glare for Rei only. "Welcome to Lita's. I'm the owner, Lita Kino. Do you have any experience waiting?"

_Kino? _As in the _Kino charity ball? _"I worked as a waitress for a year in college." Serenity offered, weakly.

"Oh. Okay, that's fine – _Amy!_" Lita called to a petite woman passing by. The woman shuffled over, shaking off the snow on her Uggs in irritation. The first thing Serenity thought of her was that she had hair so black that it appeared blue, and smoky blue eyes that reminded her of Endymion's. Lita gave her shoulder a squeeze when she neared. "This is Amy, she manages our finances – " Lita looked pensive. "And nearly everything else, on second thought. Amy, this is Serenity, our new part-time waitress. Your name is an absolute mouthful, by the way."

"I second that." Said Rei.

Serenity rolled her eyes at Rei. "When I was younger, all of my friends called me Serena; some people call me Ren. You're welcome to those nicknames."

"I like Serena," Rei teased. "You seem entirely too flighty for Serenity." (Serenity mock-glared at that, patting down her hair primly.)

Amy nodded, taking in the onslaught of information quickly as she shook hands with Serenity. "Nice to meet you, Serena. My office is in the back. Feel free to stop by if you need anything."

"And by that she means," Rei nudged Serenity with her elbow. "Don't ever stop by unless you're hemorrhaging because she is very nearly _always_ too busy to talk."

Serenity smiled in response, and the three began to cheerfully banter back and forth before her. She found it rather endearing in that moment, with the sunlight pouring in through the windows and painting everyone in lovely shades of gold.

* * *

It was dark and Serenity could barely see anything inside of the office, but she was _thrilled_ that she'd gotten in to begin with. Yes, she'd picked the lock with a bobby pin. It was not a very nice thing to do, and really – somewhere deep down, she felt a little bad for it, but what kind of rookie lock was that?

Tiptoeing around his desk, Serenity looked around for anything that would have his handwriting on it. Anything would do; she just needed to know. And if it matched, what did that mean? Should she confront him? The man that she was joined to in life, but had no real connection to speak of?

Finding a post-it note with his writing, she fished out the poem she'd seen earlier. _All right, _she licked her lips. _Here we – _Oh, shit.

Light flooded within the office and Serenity froze, crouched over.

"_Maybe if I don't move, he won't see me._" Came a teasing voice.

Even in her embarrassment, she could find the humor in this situation. She had to laugh a little at that, as unwillingly as the chuckle escaped her lips. She was caught, of course – she really must look ridiculous. Straightening, Serenity smoothed the wrinkles down in her dress. She faced Endymion, her face and neck practically on fire. He was smiling, looking ruffled with his dress shirt unbuttoned halfway and his blazer hanging from his arm. "Wife," He greeted in his infuriatingly charming manner. "How nice of you to break into my office. See anything you like?"

Serenity chewed on her lip for a brief moment before deciding to just be frank with him. There was honestly nothing she could say in this situation that would make her look any less suspicious than she did already.

"I found this on my way out this morning." She held up the crumpled piece of paper for him to see. Endymion didn't respond right away; he simply stared at the paper, registering her words.

"Did you write this?" She pressed on, her eyes speaking volumes.

He didn't answer her. Instead, he regarded her coolly, a smile slowly creeping onto his face.

"Don't bother denying it. I know you wrote it. It matches your handwriting exactly."

"I'm quite the poet; didn't you know?"

"That isn't my concern right now."

"Then," His eyes roamed her body, sinfully slowly. "What is it you'd really like to know?"

"What is this about?" She asked, closing the distance between them. She strode across the room until she was standing in front of him. She reeled back when the smell of alcohol assaulted her. "Are you _drunk_?"

"What's it to you?" He drawled, leaning against the entrance of the doorway lazily. "I had a few drinks. What did you do today, throw yourself at Kunzite again?"

Her breath caught in her throat. "Why are you trying so hard to hurt me?"

Endymion was quiet.

"Why do you push me away? You got the company, and that was all you needed?" Damn it to hell, she could feel the tears welling up in her again. She would not let herself cry in front of him. She would not. "You think I don't know something is going on? Do you think I'm stupid? Why can't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Why would anything be wrong?"

"Endymion, stop it! Look at this!" She thrust the paper in front of his face, forcing him to acknowledge it. "You can't tell me something isn't wrong. Why won't you let me in? All you've been doing is shutting me out from the very beginning..."

Endymion's eyes softened as he watched the walls crumble around her. He couldn't help himself; he wiped away a tear, caressing her cheek.

Serenity's eyes searched his anxiously. "And then there are the moments that you crack and you do this."

She leaned into him slightly and he held his breath before giving in to her, leaning in and capturing her lips hungrily. They pressed against each other, with Serenity pushing until they were locked in an embrace with only the wall to support them. She tugged gently on his bottom lip, returning the kiss with fervor. And, to his astonishment, she was the one to break away, a sigh escaping her bruised lips.

"You don't have to tell me. But, know this – I'm done."

She pushed past him and walked out of the room, leaving him alone with just those words.

Endymion felt the anger creep up on him, gradually replacing his utter shock. He didn't even give himself time to fully understand her words before he stormed over to his office phone, furiously punching in numbers. By the time the other line picked up, he was _livid._

"I'm finished playing this fucking game. You can come get me."

He slammed the phone down.

Tonight was definitely a scotch on the rocks night. Good thing he'd gotten a headstart.

* * *

Finally! Another chapter! Leave a review and let me know who you think the blackmailer is :)


	6. Chapter 5

Querida Usagi

I'm back with another chapter! I know some of you really want me to update faster and I'd really love that too, but it may not be possible for a little while. I'll keep trying though! Stick around!

I love all the guesses! I won't tell you if you're right or not, but you're welcome to all the guesses you please. Poor Kunzite if it isn't him, fingers are being pointed at him left and right!

**Perfect Beauty: **Yes, it's the IRS! How did you know?! Your comment really made me laugh!

**Cattykitty: **Right on the dot, as usual. My poor schizo Endy.

**AM: **You know, she definitely should finish her law degree. I have to agree with you on that. I hadn't actually incorporated that back into the story, but now I'm thinking I might! There is a specific reason why Endymion feels treating Serenity the way he does will help (maybe not help, but hurt less), so it's not something completely random. I hope you won't find it completely random! And, btw, thank you so much for pointing out any corrections that need to be made. I honestly appreciate it. You're like my unofficial beta! Keeping me on my toes ;)

**Bluedragonnn: **Thank you so much! I also really enjoy those types of stories. I'm happy you're satisfied with Serenity; I like it better when she takes charge a little.

**Anon: **Thank you! I really appreciate that!

To everyone else, thank you for the wonderful reviews. I'll cut the shout outs off now because I know they can get in the way. Hope you're all having a wonderful new year!

* * *

**Soundtrack: **Round and Round – Imagine Dragons

* * *

It had only taken a week for Lita to beg for her to work full-time. One glorious week in which she had dictated her independence from Endymion, from that house – from everyone.

No, her plan was not to divorce him. At least, she wouldn't divorce him _yet._ The thought had crossed her mind several times after she'd told him she was finished, but what had she really even meant by that? She didn't know. It was something she had said in the heat of the moment and, don't get her wrong, she most certainly meant it, but the implications of that action were foggy in her mind. The past few days had been a task – avoiding him at every opportunity possible; however, she'd been extremely successful and managed to evade his presence every day since she made that declaration. She didn't know if he'd been looking for her, as she'd done her best not to be available at any time, but really, what did that matter? She was sure any seeking out on his part would be minimal at best.

Nothing that would surprise her anyway.

"_Serena!"_

She whipped her head around, slowing the motions of her broom to a leisurely sweep. Lita was gesturing at her wildly in a way that she found was hilarious. This woman! She'd really come to adore her over the past few days.

"Head – out of clouds! Table 5 needs you!"

Serenity quickly nodded and leaned the broom against the wall, scurrying over to Lita to grab the coffee pot. As she approached their table, the customers looked up at her, expectantly. "I am so sorry," She apologized lightly, smiling as she poured the steaming hazelnut coffee into the patrons' cups. "I must be somewhere else today."

As she poured the coffee for the rest of the table, she backtracked to where she'd left off in her thoughts. Ah, yes – surprise. She was _extremely_ surprised to find a single, blood red rose on her nightstand when she'd awoken this morning. She'd found out from Kunzite, months ago really, that roses were Endymion's favorite flower (Kunzite had thought himself too manly to have a favorite flower – despite her having full knowledge of how much he loved seeing her with daisies in her hair). Not only that, but specifically red roses. Something in her found it slightly romantic, but another part of her realized the futility of the gesture and, not wanting to deal with it today, she slinked off to work early.

How was that for cowardice?

The smell of hazelnut was intoxicating to her, planting a permanent smile on her face as she drifted to the next table. Absentmindedly, she began pouring a cup of coffee for the man seated at Table 6, her eyes downcast as she hummed cheerfully to a tune playing on the radio.

"That coffee smells lovely," The man noted, a hint of enjoyment in his tone as he tipped his mug over to peek inside. "Unfortunately for me, my cup was still half filled with green tea..."

"Oh!" Serenity exclaimed, embarrassed. She blushed a bright red, her eyes finally seeing the man before her. He was without a doubt eye-catching, and it wasn't all due to his (admittedly _very _good) looks. His hair was a bizarre mix of white and silver that fell below his ears, contrasting deeply with his tan skin and slate eyes. He was dressed in business attire, but looked ready to retire into sweats, if his relaxed expression and the casual manner in which he draped his body across his chair was any indication. Right then, he was staring at her in the most peculiar manner. "I really am an idiot." She said, by way of apology, not knowing where to begin. "I'm screwing everything up today. I'm not usually this spacey."

Why was she still talking? She shut her mouth, quickly, just in time for him to give her a large, genuine smile. "You don't seem like an idiot to me." He tutted, his eyes meeting hers. "And it's perfectly all right. Green tea and coffee sound like a wonderful mix." The teasing, borderline flirtatious tone was all too apparent in his voice, and she picked up on it immediately.

"Yeah," Serenity replied, a little cheekily. "It's going to be the next big thing." She smiled at him politely before lifting the mug.

"Hold on," He beckoned to her, his finger raised to stop her in her tracks. Serenity raised an eyebrow, pausing before placing the mug back to its former spot facing him. "I'll taste it and let you know for sure." Intrigued, she watched with a tiny smile as he made a show of taking a sip.

The slight frown as he gulped amused her. She stood, hand on hip, waiting for him to surface. He sat up and straightened his tie momentarily before regarding her. "Madam," He cleared his throat in a mock serious manner. "I have to insist that you do not sell that concoction. It is, quite frankly, repulsive."

"Oh, no!" Serenity laughed at him, playing along. "And I was so hoping to have one of my own added to the menu. I'm heart-broken. Are you sure?"

"About as sure as I am about wanting to take you to dinner," He squinted, leaning forward with a smile as he stared at her name tag. "Serenity."

She went silent immediately, frozen at the implication. Had he just _asked her out?_ Dear lord. She'd only spoken to the man for about two minutes, a conversation completely spurred by her fucking things up – excuse her French. She didn't even know his _name_, for goodness sake!

"Are you asking me out?"

"It would appear so."

"I don't even know your name_._ I've never even seen you before a day in my life." She sputtered, placing the coffee pot down. Her arm felt so heavy all of a sudden.

"Diamond Weiss," The man beamed at her, welcomingly. "I really should apologize. I'm a regular here. Lita's has, hands-down, the best coffee on this side of town. I've noticed you this past week, but it seems you didn't take notice of me."

"It would seem so."

Diamond burst into laughter, genuinely pleased. "You don't hold anything back."

"I'm sorry," Serenity smiled at him bashfully, realizing how rude she was being. "I'm not used to being asked out."

"Now that," Diamond spoke, softly, his eyes trailing down the cascade of silver curls that fell to her waist. "I have a hard time believing."

She didn't even know what to say to that. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, speaking slowly. "I..." Where were her words when she needed them?

"Say you'll at least think about it."

And just when she'd found the word she'd been looking for (No – the word was _no_), he went and said that. Which made her think, why_ not_? Why shouldn't she think about it? Sure, she was married, but for how much longer? If her husband could fraternize with the most wretched woman in town, why couldn't she have her own fun?

No, that sounded bad. That wasn't exactly what she meant. What she really meant was this: She'd been unhappy in her marriage for so long, holding on to this fruitless hope that there was something beneath it all – that, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary, her husband actually loved her and was committed to her. Now that she knew that she was wrong (well not _wrong,_ per se, but extremely misguided), who was she to turn down someone who seemed genuinely interested in her? Did opportunities wait on people? She didn't think so. The least she could do was think about.

"I will..." She decided. "I'll think about it."

He looked tremendously pleased, smiling up at her with those appealing grey eyes. He looked a little like Kunzite, now that she thought of it.

_Speaking of Kunzite_, she thought in exasperation as she felt a vibration in her apron. Pulling it out, she silenced the call. This was the fifth time he'd called her today and it was only two in the afternoon. Her own husband didn't even call her that often. Get a grip, man! She was really starting to regret those nights she'd let him in, loneliness besting her.

"How about I get you some more green tea?" All business now.

"That would be wonderful."

Giving him a playful wink, she moved towards the kitchen quickly, coffee pot and mug in tow. As the doors swung open, Lita and Amy stopped talking and peered at her, questioningly. No, that was inaccurate – Amy's glance was questioning; Lita looked... excited?

"Did Diamond Weiss just ask you out?" Lita squealed, taking the coffee pot and mug from her and placing it on the island. "You lucky _girl! _How did you manage that? I've been trying to get him to look at me for weeks, and you get him to ask you out after a few days on the job! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous! Tell me you said yes!"

"Lita!" Amy scolded, crossing her arms over her chest in disapproval. "You're dating Nephlite!"

Rolling her eyes and then looking over her shoulder at her petite friend, Lita responded unapologetically. "So? It's not like I would have said yes." When she faced Serenity, the impish look on her face said otherwise. _I would have totally said yes,_ she mouthed playfully.

Serenity chuckled, high-fiving Lita in agreement. Now it was Amy's turn to roll her eyes. "First of all," She said, poking Lita in the shoulder. "I saw that. Second of all," And this was directed towards Serenity. "Aren't you married?"

Serenity's face colored in shame, realizing too late what she'd just done. She'd just led a man on and the truth of the matter was, she was married. She was a married woman. She was somebody's wife - Endymion's wife.

"Amy!" Lita reprimanded, looking sternly at her manager. Amy flinched, remembering Serenity's situation in that moment.

"No – " Serenity said, weakly. "She's right, actually." A lump formed in her throat. "Can I take my break now? I have to make a call."

Lita nodded and gave her a sympathetic look, rubbing her shoulder. "Green tea for Table 6? I was eavesdropping."

"Yeah."

"Serena?" Amy called out, an apology in her eyes. "You can use my office."

Serenity paused for a moment before hugging her friend. "Thanks, Ames."

* * *

Serenity sat on top of Amy's large blue desk, her legs swinging in a juvenile manner. She was biting her fingernails; she had such a bad habit of doing that when she was nervous or frustrated, but it was something she'd had control of up until recently. Finally, her phone vibrated beside her; she was practically on the edge of hysteria. She didn't know how to navigate this point in her life. Snatching it up, she barely gave the person on the other line a moment to speak.

"Mina! Where have you been? I've been calling you for the past ten minutes!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Mina apologized profusely, sounding out of breath. "I was busy! What's the matter?"

"Someone just asked me out."

"Just asked you out? Who?"

"His name is Diamond Weiss. He's – " Serenity was pensive for a moment. "Well, I don't really know what he does. Anyway, that's irrelevant. He just asked me out and I don't know what to do!"

"Serenity! Serenity," Mina spoke in a soothing voice, confusion evident. "Slow down, honey. What did you say?"

Serenity exhaled loudly, fingering a face-framing curl. "I said I'd think about it."

"That's exciting! Is he a total cutie?"

"Minerva." Serenity tugged at her hair in frustration. "I'm married."

"I wouldn't tell him that on the first date."

"Mina, be serious!"

"Well, what do you want me to say? You know how I feel about Endymion already." Mina sighed into the phone. Serenity tossed her head back, staring at the cracks in the ceiling. She didn't know why she felt this way, but she wanted someone to tell her what to do. Her moral compass was messing with her in an astronomical way. _Tell me what to do_, _Mina._

"Sere, I think," Mina started, her voice light. "You should go out with him if you're interested. Who knows, maybe little Endy will even be a little jealous. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"That's not what I want." Even though that was exactly what she wanted. It wasn't why she was considering going out with Diamond – Diamond had sparked that interest all on his own – but she'd be lying if she said the thought hadn't crossed her mind.

"Regardless, you could use a little fun. Go out. Have fun. Get laid."

"Mina!"

"Okay, okay!" Serenity could hear the jingle of Mina's laughter, muffled as it was. "Don't get laid. That's _wrong._" She mocked. "But tell that Diamond character yes. It'll be good for you."

"Okay."

A knock resounded through the room before Amy poked her head inside. "Hey, are you almost done in here? I have a few calls to make."

Serenity nodded in understanding, holding her finger up. "Mina, I have to go. I'll talk to you later. Love you, bye." Sliding her phone shut, she hopped off the desk and moved towards the door. "All yours, Amy dearest."

What happened next lasted all of five seconds, but felt like a small lifetime in her mind. The moment she'd stepped through the door, their eyes connected. There he was, innocuously purchasing coffee at her place of employment, with Lita at the register, seemingly laughing in delight at something he'd said. In those five seconds, she'd felt everything she had been trying so damn hard to avoid. The familiar feeling of butterflies, furiously fluttering around in her stomach, bombarded her. Her chest burning, she spun on her heel, ramming into Amy as they barreled frontwards into the office, the door slamming behind them.

Amy was, quite frankly, stunned. She peered at Serenity from her position flat on her back. "For the love of God, Serenity! What is the matter with you?" She exclaimed, her eyes wide and her back aching.

Serenity, her mouth full of carpet, rolled over from her position belly down. "Hell if I know." She breathed, blowing hair out of her face. Amy, her eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement, didn't respond.

"Guys!" Lita swung the door open, a dreamy look on her face. "I think I just met the most gorgeous man – What the hell are you doing on the floor? Are you working out?"

"No." Amy replied simply, rolling her head to look at Serenity.

Serenity sat up slowly, wincing in discomfort. "Did you really not recognize him?"

Lita looked confused. "Why would I recognize him?"

"He was at the Kino ball."

"Oh," Lita responded, flitting her hand in a devil-may-care manner. "I don't go to those things. That's my parents' sort of thing. Doesn't interest me."

"That 'gorgeous man' was my husband." Serenity helped Amy up after brushing herself off.

Lita's eyes looked ready to pop out of her head. She steadied herself on Amy's desk, her eyes wide with disbelief and envy. "_That _was Endymion? Well, I completely understand now why you stuck around for so long!"

"Tell me about it."

"Good thing he decided the coffee was to-go."

Serenity gave her a half-assed nod, looking down at her fingernails.

"Did you decide what you're going to do about Diamond?"

Serenity glanced at Amy from the corner of her eye. She looked exhausted. "We'll talk later." Lita caught the hint, the both of them staring at Amy in silence. Realizing the spotlight was now on her, Amy looked between the two of them before rubbing at her temple. "Well now that the excitement is all over, shoo! You have customers, and I have calls."

The girls moved quickly, stepping one after the other out of the office and into the café. Looking around, she noticed that Table 6 had been evacuated. She rubbed at her forearms, feelings goose bumps on her ivory skin. Endymion and Diamond were both nowhere in sight and the worst part was, she had no idea which one upset her more.

* * *

Later that evening, as she was closing up, she heard the familiar jingle of bells, indicating someone entering the dark café. Sighing at the vibrations in her pocket, she wearily pulled her phone out. "We're closed!" She called out blandly, without so much as turning around. She looked at her phone – Kunzite flashed across the screen. She ended the call; couldn't he take a hint? A text popped up a moment later.

_I miss you - Kunzite._

She shook her head, feeling a sliver of guilt creep up on her. Of course she missed him, but this - this was too much. Slipping her phone back into her pocket, she turned around, suddenly remembering and fully braced to yell at the intruder for still being there. Instead, she gasped.

Standing behind her was Diamond, dressed down and utterly charismatic, leaning on the doorjamb with a bouquet of flowers in hand. "You didn't think I would leave without getting a real answer, did you?"

* * *

He works quickly, doesn't he? :) Review!


	7. Chapter 6

Querida Usagi

Are we going to find out who the blackmailer is? :P

**Astrid Sillviena: **Thank you very much; I appreciate that. Yes, I do think Serenity would look good in multiple pairings, and I actually considered her and Kunzite seriously before I started to get into the story. Ah, well... maybe in my next one.

**Smfan4ever72: **I know, so many triangles! Hopefully, some of them will be out of the way by the end of this chapter though. They're hard to keep track of! And, don't worry, Endy's about to get his act together _really soon_ (not in this chapter though).

**AM: **This chapter is a little darker (dark being a relative term). I certainly hope you're surprised by the ending. And thank you so much for that correction! Hopefully I've covered all bases in this chapter, but I'm always happy to have someone looking out for me, especially someone who is such a gifted writer herself.

To everyone else, thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! You're amazing.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **The Future Will Destroy You - Viva Voce

* * *

There weren't a lot of things that Endymion could honestly say were real in his life right now. His whole relationship with Serenity seemed extraordinarily unreal in a number of ways, despite wanting her in just as many ways. His relationship with his parents – well, that was just nonexistent since his mother left him as a child and his father died years ago. As for work - work was just... work. He was always working no matter where he was and that was just the tedious truth of it. Truly, he felt like he was walking around in a daze of monotony most of the time, and so the stark contrast of everything happening at this moment to him was surreal.

But his resentment towards Kunzite, _that _was real.

He'd known that the fire pit in his stomach, the pit that burned angrily but quietly from the very moment he'd met Kunzite as a child, was not something totally innocent. It had taken him a while to pinpoint exactly what that feeling was, but he had eventually. The day that Kunzite and his mother had shown up on Endymion's doorstep, demanding to see his father and announcing their love child with Endymion only inches away, was the day that his own mother had decided she was leaving. Oh, it took her longer than that day, of course, but he could see it in her eyes. There was a firmness in her eyes that revealed her anger at the betrayal – at the result. He'd known, even at ten years old, that she was going to go. He'd known.

Kunzite's gold-digging mother hadn't stayed around for long, leaving Kunzite behind when she'd secured a good amount of his father's wealth. It wasn't surprising; they'd all known what she'd been after when she'd first appeared. Endymion was, safe to say, a little underwhelmed with his new family. Still bitter over the departure of his mother, he had never really warmed up to his brother. He loved him; he knew that for sure. It was hard not to love Kunzite because he was his brother. He was his _blood,_ and Kunzite had been in his life longer than he hadn't. The issue was, he'd never really allowed himself to like Kunzite very much, and this whole situation with Serenity was _not_ helping.

He didn't know what on Earth had compelled Kunzite to begin a relationship with Serenity _under his roof_, much less_. _He was no fool – he knew Serenity didn't want Kunzite. He could see it in her eyes. She never looked at Kunzite the way she... well, the way she looked at _him._ The fact that Kunzite had even tried, _that_ was what was so irritating. His brother had a habit of sticking his nose in where it didn't belong. And while he was happy that Serenity had at least one person to comfort and to give her love while he was figuring all this shit out, he wished it could have been just about anyone else.

And then, back there in the coffee shop, she had looked so goddamned beautiful in her apron with her hair pulled back. His eyes had locked on hers immediately, soaking her in, in all of her natural beauty. He didn't even mind it when she'd smashed herself into her co-worker in her haste to get away from him. _Such a clumsy girl_, he laughed to himself as he strolled out of the coffee shop and towards the car waiting for him. Opening the door, he slid into the back of the car, his hand gripping his coffee firmly.

He didn't mind because it was the first time he'd laid eyes on her in a week, and it was heavenly. Plus, now he knew where she'd been hiding away.

Endymion smiled, taking a sip of his coffee as he peered out of the window of his sleek, black Escalade. He nodded to the driver, and he was once again in motion.

* * *

Hours later, Serenity stood in that very coffee shop, looking at her guest in complete shock.

"You didn't think I would leave without getting a real answer, did you?"

Recovering quickly, Serenity spoke, her voice emerging huskily. "I didn't –" She cleared her throat. "I need water."

Diamond chuckled as she scurried behind the counter, grabbing a water bottle and ripping the cap off. She eyed him as she chugged half of the water. Placing it down with finality, she pointed at him accusingly. "Don't you _ever_ do that again!"

Diamond grinned. "Do what, exactly?"

"Sneak up on me like that!"

"Can one really sneak up on someone else when there are bells to signify one's entrance?"

"That was _creepy!"_

Diamond stepped back in mock-offense. "Well, I thought it was romantic."

Smoothing the hairs around her face in frustration, she conceded. "Yes... yes, I suppose it was romantic."

"Say that again, it didn't look quite as painful as it should have been."

Serenity laughed, her shoulders shaking with the outburst. "I'm really sorry, Diamond."

"No apology necessary. I only want a date."

She half-smiled, bashfully tilting her head. "I don't know."

"Come on – you must be hungry. How about dinner?"

Serenity closed her eyes momentarily, weariness passing over her. "Tonight?"

"Do you have any other plans?"

"Well," Serenity glanced at the clock. It was 8:05PM. Her clothes were not suitable for dining out, what with the many stains she had incurred during the day. She would have to stop home to change and, while there was a tiny sliver of a chance Endymion and Kunzite would both be out, it was a risk she wasn't sure she wanted to take. "No, but..."

"Ah. I see."

But he didn't see. And she knew that. It wasn't that she was turning him down because she didn't like him; he seemed like a perfectly nice fellow. He certainly knew how to make her laugh. He was _very_ charismatic. It was just that something didn't feel quite right. She knew what Mina had advised her to do, but that just wasn't her. As much as she'd love to explore her options, it wasn't the right thing to do.

"Listen, Diamond. I think you should know something. I'm... not available."

"You have a boyfriend?" Diamond raised an eyebrow, the smile dropping from his face. He placed the bouquet of flowers on a table nearby, his attention fully on her.

"Not quite. I have a husband. I'm married." She expected him to yell at her – curse at her even for leading him on thus far. It wouldn't have been completely shocking. She would have understood completely. What was completely shocking, however, was his lack of reaction.

"Oh. Wow." He simply said, looking pensive.

Serenity waited for him to say more. And then she waited some more. Until – "That's it? That's all you have to say?"

"Are you unhappy?"

"I'm sorry – _what?_"

"It's just, I have a hard time believing that a woman who is completely happy in her marriage would be this... accommodating."

"_Accommodating?"_ Serenity's eyebrows hit her hairline. What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

Diamond realized his mistake immediately. "That was the wrong word! You just... You seemed like you were considering the date, and I thought..."

Serenity waited for him to finish, a guilty flush coloring her cheeks. He was struggling for words, his eyes not quite meeting hers.

"Can we just start over?"

"Diamond –"

"How about dinner as friends? You look hungry."

And just as she was about to say _no, she wasn't hungry,_ her tummy let out THE most embarrassingly loud growl. Sweet baby Jesus, she thought. There goes that. Diamond curled over in laughter at the chagrined expression on her face.

"Hungry enough to eat an ox."

Serenity sent him a piercing look as she grabbed her black peacoat off of the counter, shrugging it on. "Fine. But we're stopping at my house; I need to change."

* * *

By the time they'd reached the Shields mansion, giggles had overcome them. Diamond kept a bottle of wine in his car just for that reason and little got to her quite so much as sweet red wine. Two glasses later, and she was feeling buzzed on her empty stomach. She laughed as Diamond regaled her with stories of his many escapades. He was very entertaining, she thought to herself. And she quite liked him.

As they made their way to the door, Serenity began to fish her keys out from her purse. She was unsuccessful and so she leaned her body in a relaxed manner against her door, searching lazily. "Gotcha!" She said, smiling as she looked up at Diamond. The smile fell away from her face when she was met with his heated expression. The dim lighting overhead did him no favors, turning the heat up in his face markedly. _So much for that,_ she sighed internally. _I guess it would be silly to think we'd be friends_, she thought to herself, a bit miffed – it certainly would be uncomfortable, even with the truth laid bare; however, she'd conceded to this dinner because she _was_ hungry and she thought he was cool. Unfortunately, it seemed that his attraction for her wasn't going to be quelled anytime soon. Seeing as they were already at her house, she would have to go with him and just make the best of it. She changed the subject to one of his previous stories, successfully lightening the mood as she jammed her key into the lock.

They burst through the front door, laughing uproariously about something or another, with Serenity making a feeble attempt at shush-ing them. She could barely hold her own laughter back. Once she noticed the attention she was gathering from the household staff, she sobered up considerably. And, if it were possible to sober up even more, she did so the moment she spotted Endymion.

"Shoot." She muttered. Diamond looked at her in surprise.

"Follow me." She whispered, walking before him. "Endymion," She greeted, casually. "I didn't think you'd be home."

Endymion, in turn, was silent. He was looking at Diamond in the most peculiar manner. A little disconcerted, she felt the need – and she couldn't understand why – to explain herself. "This is my friend Diamond. We're grabbing a bite to eat."

Still, he was silent. His eyes hadn't reached hers the entire time she'd been talking. "Okay..." She looked back at Diamond, who was peering at the two rather innocently. "I'm going to go change. I'll be down in ten." She began to move past Endymion and was nearly startled out of her skin when he grabbed her arm and pulled her off to the side.

"What are you doing?" He hissed at her, his eyes drilling into hers.

Serenity blanched in pain, yanking her arm back. "What do you mean? I just told you."

"I mean, what are you doing going out with him_?_"

Serenity rolled her eyes, looking back at Diamond, who was lingering several feet away, pretending to mind his own business. She returned her attention to Endymion. "You can't be serious. Now you're telling me who I can and can't go out with? Get real! You don't even know him."

"Do _you?_"

That question made her pause. "I'm just eating dinner with him, Endymion. Don't be ridiculous. Besides," She backed away from him, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. "You lost the right to tell me what to do once you decided not to tell me what's going on. Maybe even before that." Walking away, another thought occurred to her. She paused and pointed an accusatory finger into Endymion's chest. "Don't antagonize my date." And then she was off.

Okay. So he wasn't her _date, _but hey – she could have a little fun, couldn't she?

Endymion was shocked to say the least. He watched Serenity as she made her way to the staircase, her round behind swaying sensually. _That little..._

He would deal with that later. Right now, he had something to take care of – or rather, _someone_. Slowly making a 180, he returned his icy gaze to the stranger in his house. Diamond stood against the wall, lazily returning the gesture. "Well, hello." He offered, the words sluggishly tumbling from him mouth. "Lovely woman, isn't she?"

Endymion gave him a tight smile. He listened for the sound of footsteps and, hearing none, moved closer to his target.

"You're here to take my wife out?" Only a foot away, Endymion was already towering over Diamond. If Diamond, however, felt intimidated, it didn't show. "This is your revenge?"

"We're just going to dinner. You know, as friends." Was that a hint of mockery he detected? That bastard.

* * *

Serenity moved swiftly down the hall, whistling to herself. She didn't trust Endymion for one minute with Diamond. Diamond was a total sweetheart, but she wasn't sure she trusted Endymion, _especially_ in his current mood. Dressed demurely in a lilac blouse and black, knee length pencil skirt, she strode out of her room, confidently. Her get-up was attractive, but in no way inviting. That was how she wanted it. No funny business, not on her watch. Speaking of watches... She glanced downwards at the rose-gold watch adorning her wrist. Ten minutes – not bad. And just as she was about the turn the corner, someone yanked her backwards, pulling her into a dark room. She squealed, frightened.

The lights flickered on in – _Oh... _In Kunzite's bedroom. Kunzite's bedroom was large and practically fit for a king, in her opinion. The bed itself was majestic; it was neatly made with striking satin, royal blue sheets that matched the dark blue décor of the room itself. Inside stood Mina and Kunzite, both looking at her as if she'd grown another head.

"You scream like a _girl_." Mina clucked, laughter in her voice.

"I am a girl, you monster." Serenity's voice came out in a breathy, indignant puff.

Kunzite was not one to dawdle and got straight to the point, placing himself directly in her line of view. She stumbled back a step. "You have a date tonight?"

"How do you - ?"

"Mina was downstairs."

Serenity glanced sharply at her friend. Mina looked towards the window, pretending not to see her. Sliding her eyes towards Kunzite, she forced herself to stand to her full height. It wasn't much – a mere 5'4" – but she wasn't going to let him make her feel any smaller than she already was. "It's not a date, Kunz."

"Then why didn't you tell me about it? And why have you been avoiding my calls?"

"I've been so busy." She responded, wearily. It wasn't the full truth, but it was part of it. Part of it was better than nothing. Plus, what was she supposed to say with Mina standing right there?

"I don't believe you." Kunzite's face was red – cherry red with anger. That was the most baffling part. Honestly, where did he come off, attacking her like this?

"You don't have to believe me, Kunzite." She snapped. "And I don't have to answer to you. You aren't my husband."

"So that's it, is it? That's all? God, I've been waiting for you so patiently – wondering when it is that you would finally come to your senses, and now you're off with this – this –"

Serenity stopped him before he found the words. "Stop." She looked over to the corner of the room, where Mina stood awkwardly. "We're not having this discussion right now. I'll see you later."

"Serenity, please don't go." Kunzite's attitude changed instantly. Serenity ignored him, adjusting her blouse and moving away. "Serenity!" He called to her again, hopelessness coloring his voice. "I love you!"

Shocked, Serenity turned back, catching the dark look on Mina's face. Grabbing him by the collar, she moved them into the hallway and slammed him against the wall.

"How can you even _say _that," She hissed at him, angry as can be. "With Mina here? In your bedroom, no less. Have you no heart? You fuck her nearly every day, and you have the nerve to tell me that you _love _me?"

"You're a naïve fool," Kunzite spat. "If you can't tell the difference."

"I may be naïve, but you're the fool. You have a woman in there who loves you. Stop wasting your time."

She wrenched herself away from Kunzite, leaving him to stare after her in the shadows of the hall.

* * *

"This is a dangerous game you're playing, Diamond."

Diamond regarded Endymion unperturbedly, a smile creeping onto his face. Pushing himself off of the wall, he moved to the other side of the hallway, tracing a dark painting of a sunrise with his eyes. "This is beautiful. Is it a Monet?"

Quickly becoming angry, Endymion clenched his fists. "Leave right now. Leave this house and don't come back. And if I find out you've contacted my wife, I'll kill you."

Diamond chuckled, his hands raised in surrender. "Now, now, Endymion. Don't have a hissy fit." He smiled, exuding smugness. "I promise I won't come on to your little angel."

"In fact," Diamond bated Endymion, speaking as if they were conversing about something as simple as the weather. "I don't even think I need to. Looks to me like she'll be begging to ride me by the end of- "

CRACK.

Diamond stumbled back into the painting, rocking it as he hit the ground. Bewildered, he touched the corner of his lip, feeling the warmth of his own blood. "Big mistake, my man." He rasped, the both of them picking up the damning sound of heels clicking furiously down the hall.

_Fuck._

"Endymion!" Serenity shrieked, outraged. Endymion stepped back, not believing his awful luck. "What the hell! God, what is with you all today?" Serenity helped Diamond up, her arms encircling him. "Are you okay?" She asked urgently, turning his cheek to examine the damage.

"I'm fine," He assured her, gently. "It's only a little blood."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Serenity nodded. She glanced back at Endymion, who was looking stubbornly unapologetic. Choosing to ignore him, she tapped Diamond on the shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

Throwing his arm over her shoulder, Diamond and Serenity made their way to the door, leaving Endymion in their wake.

Not being able to resist a little taunting, Diamond looked back, his eyes catching Endymion's. He smiled arrogantly, the door closing behind them.

* * *

Serenity and Diamond sat inside of his apartment, containers of half-eaten Indian food scattered around them. She held an ice pack to his lip as she kneeled in front of him.

"You know," Diamond began, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "You don't need to do this."

"I know that," Serenity responded, her eyes downcast. "It's just that I feel somewhat responsible."

"And why is that?"

"Because I knew if Endymion were home, all hell would break loose. You're lucky that's all you got."

Diamond smiled at that. "I have to confess, I had it coming."

Serenity's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She put the ice pack down. "How could you have had that coming?"

"I knew you were married from before you told me."

Serenity was stunned into silence.

"That tan line on your ring finger gave it away."

Her ring was currently sitting on her bedside table, right where she'd left it this morning. It was the first time she'd taken it off.

"I also," He began again, after taking a deep breath. "Know Endymion. We have competing businesses." Diamond chuckled, harshly. "_Had._ He eventually put me out of business when he merged with Silver Star Corp."

She didn't flinch at the mention of her father's company, choosing to ignore that piece of information. "So," Serenity drawled, connecting the dots on her own. "You were using me to get back at him?"

"No." He shook his head, almost offended by the question. "I meant everything I said to you. I didn't expect that you were married to Shields, of all people. I just decided to make the most of it when I saw him there, looking like a big, jealous bear."

Serenity laughed despite herself. "That's not okay, Diamond."

"No. No, it isn't."

Playing with a silver strand of her hair, she was silent. "I have to go home."

He smiled. "I figured you would eventually."

She returned the smile, brushing herself off as she got up. "I'll let myself out."

Diamond nodded, mutely. He opened his mouth before speaking, faltering with the hesitation of someone who didn't truly want to share his next thoughts. "He really loves you, you know."

Serenity froze in her steps, before recovering. She pulled the door closed, softly calling out a goodbye.

* * *

Quietly moving up the shadowy, winding staircase, Serenity could only think of her room. Her room, her _bed –_ all she wanted to do was strip off her clothes and dive headfirst into her bed. She realized the moment that she flicked the light switch on that that was not destined to happen.

Endymion sat comfortably at her vanity, as if he'd been waiting for her that entire time.

"How did you know I was back?"

"I asked Molly to let me know when you arrived."

"Oh," Serenity yawned, not feeling up to the impending discussion. Today had been entirely too much for her to swallow. "Of course. Can we talk tomorrow?"

He couldn't help himself. Even as the words emerged from his mouth, he knew this was probably (unquestionably) not the right route to take, but was so eaten up by jealousy that he couldn't help it anymore than he could help breathing. "Did you sleep with him?"

She was appalled – and now, very much awake. "_Excuse_ me?"

"Did. You. Sleep with him?"

"Get out." Serenity said, the words gravelly and heated. "Get out!" Picking up a nearby vase, she clumsily tossed it at him, missing him by an inch.

Fearing for his life, Endymion ducked out of the room, muttering a quick apology to his wife. He really was dense sometimes. Of course she didn't sleep with him; it was Serenity, for goodness sake. Hearing another object shatter against the door, he ran a hand through his hair. There was no way he'd be able to sleep now.

He bounded down the stairs and towards his office. As awake as he was, there was no point in staying up and not getting any work done. He could barely think, but he could definitely type. Anything to get his mind off of his near fatal blunder. He realized he was being slightly dramatic, but that vase had very nearly smashed into his head – he was thanking the gods for her lack of hand-eye coordination or it certainly would've. Wasn't he supposed to be _winning her back_? And look how well he was doing – saying stupid shit like that.

He pushed his key into the lock of his office door and was perplexed when he heard a click. Hadn't he locked the door? Turning the key in the opposite direction, he pushed open the door. A silky voice greeted him immediately from the darkness.

"I thought they'd never go to sleep."

Endymion closed his eyes, unsurprised. He'd known that this was coming – it was only a matter of when. Light flooded the room as he locked the door.

"Mina."

* * *

:-O!

So much excitement in one chapter. Review!


	8. Chapter 7 - Part One

Querida Usagi

Hello, everyone! I know, I know - I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long, but I have been swamped. This chapter is actually relatively short because I decided to make it a two parter. I wanted to get this out so that I had a little more time to work on the second part. Hopefully some of your questions will be answered in this chapter.

**amethysth**: Thank you! I'm happy you're enjoying the story so far. I really wanted to make it original so it definitely does get a little crazy at times.

**Mzmiami**: Ohhh, they will. Eventually!

**BlueMoon**: Endy has not been sleeping with anyone else since Sere, rest assured. He's been a good boy, aside from... well, from everything else lol.

**LegendaryDiamond**: LOL ;)

**unlockurdestiny:** Some answers for you await in this chapter! Haha I like it when Serenity is fierce; it's definitely one of my favorite parts of her personality. I thought about making Diamond a villian in this story, but I settled on making him a pseudo-nice guy. Endy certainly does have a whoooole lot on his plate. Can't say he doesn't ask for some of it though lol.

**smfan4ever72:** I hope I don't disappoint you too much!

**AM9:** Haha I feel as if I am always leaving you guys with a cliffhanger! I promise I don't do it to be cruel. I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter; it really makes me feel good when my readers find something special or intriguing in my story.

**MV:** I didn't abandon it! :)

To all of my other reviewers, you're the best. Your answers (welllll, some of them) await!

* * *

**Soundtrack: **Hanging On – Ellie Goulding

* * *

"You know, Endymion, I have to tell you; I'm not too pleased with you right now."

Endymion looked at her, perched atop his desk, her golden hair spilling over her shoulder. She was dressed in a sheer negligee, barely covered by a tiny orange robe. She leisurely crossed her legs, a look of enjoyment crossing her features. "You've been a _very _bad boy."

Clearing his throat, he moved across the room to pour himself a glass of scotch. "What do you want?"

"I think you know what I want." Uncrossing her legs and leaning backwards on her elbows, she considered him. "Don't play coy."

Endymion grabbed his office chair, pulling it further away from her and taking a seat. He needed distance between them – he couldn't stand the sight of her. She watched him as he tilted his chair back, his eyes zeroing in on her. When Endymion didn't respond, she leaned towards him. "Serenity was supposed to call off this marriage. She was supposed to divorce you."

"She was supposed to do this all on her own," Mina continued, her voice as honeyed and sweet as it always was. "And yet – here, she still is. Months later. Why is that, Endymion?"

"I don't know," He drawled. "Maybe I've decided I couldn't give less of a fuck what you think."

Mina looked angry for a brief moment before she beamed at him. "Now," She began, swinging the fleece belt of her robe around casually. "You know that's not true. Do you know how I know that's not true?" She taunted. "I know that's not true because I know you love her, and you want to salvage what's left of your relationship."

Endymion watched her carefully, sipping on his whiskey. "What is there to salvage really? Haven't you done your part in destroying it already?"

"You don't really want to play this game with me, Endymion."

"I don't know, Minerva," He said, leaning uncomfortably close to her, enjoying her sudden discomfort. "I think I do."

Mina recovered quickly, never being one to lose. She slid off of his desk, moving behind him and jerking his chair forward so that all feet were planted firmly on the ground. Gripping the back of the chair, she leaned over his shoulder, speaking softly into his ear. Endymion tensed. "How do you think she would feel if she knew that you," She motioned towards the rest of the room with a flicker of her hand, "Set all of this up?"

"Hmm?" She pressed, her fingers digging into the chair. "That you were so obsessed with her that you forced Ken to hand her over? That you were the reason she had to drop out of school?"

"That you were the reason her father was on his _deathbed?_" Endymion closed his eyes, the painful reminder overcoming him.

"Do you think," Mina kissed him tenderly on the cheek. "That she'd love you so much then?"

Endymion swallowed, feeling a boulder-sized lump in his throat. "Why are you doing this, Mina?"

She giggled contemptuously behind him, her hair falling over his shoulder and tickling his forearm. Her giggle reminded him of nails on a chalkboard; it was so grating to his ears. "For us, baby. So we have a chance."

Something rang entirely untrue in her statement and he shook his head. "I don't believe you."

She laughed again. "You got me! No one could ever accuse you of being stupid." Her hands leisurely moved downwards to caress his chest before he threw them off of him in disgust. "I'm doing this because you took something important away from me, and now I'm taking something important away from you."

"This is your sick little revenge?" He twisted in his chair, his dark eyes analyzing her in amazement. "Are you in love with Serenity?"

"The _company_, Endymion! That company was supposed to be mine!"

Endymion regarded her incredulously. "That's what this is about? This is about the _company?_"

"Of course that's what this is about! What did you think this was about, _you?_"

"No," Endymion replied, his voice mocking. "That would be _ridiculous._"

"I'm being very generous, Endymion." She moved around the chair to face him, her eyes glimmering. "I'm giving you a chance to get out of this before it gets ugly."

"Here's the thing, Mina." Endymion shifted in his chair, looking pensive momentarily as he leaned on his armrest. "I meant what I said to you over the phone. I'm done. Let it get ugly. If this is all you have to threaten me with, I'm really not that worried."

"And, the truth is," He continued, his voice lowering so that Mina was forced to move in closer, to her great irritation. "I don't really have too much respect for someone who would fuck her best friend's father for his company."

Her anger was so white-hot that she didn't even feel it at first. She smiled at him before her face twisted in anger, her hand whipping around to backhand him forcefully. The ring on her finger caught onto his skin, piercing him by his lip. He silently held his cheek, his face taut with anger. His eyes were so dark in that moment that they looked black. "You have _no idea_ what I've been through." She whispered to him fiercely. "I was overlooked year after year, for promotion after promotion. I was _drowning_ in debt, and if Ken weren't such a disgusting, _weak_ man, I'd still be drowning. You men are so weak. You're so weak."

"He was going to hand the company over to me. You ruined everything!" She hissed, her hands moving to grip both sides of his chair.

Endymion sighed, tiredly. "You were never going to get that company, Mina. He wanted someone he could trust, and you weren't it."

"Oh!" She screeched, her face bright red. "And you were? His main rival? You nearly _killed_ him!"

"I'm not responsible for the way Onikust was being run into the ground. I'm also not responsible for how he reacted to it. His nephew Shingo was going to inherit the company before the car accident, and that's when I stepped in. You were a non-issue. You're delusional."

"I'm delusional..." She felt her entire body tense in frustration, the tears escaping unwillingly. "You're going to regret this, Endymion."

"Am I?" His voice held a twinge of pity. "It seems to me that the only person who can back up your claims is Ken, who is the picture of health right now and has everything to lose by siding with you."

Mina swiped at her eyes, silently. Her eyes blankly wandered the room before falling onto Endymion's. Her gaze was piercing. "Are you sure about that?"

"Mina." Endymion stared her down as she left the room, cold dread trickling down his spine like raindrops. "What do you mean by that? Mina!"

But she was already gone.

* * *

Stay tuned for part two!


End file.
